


Walk That Fragile Line

by Carlet



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-02-20
Updated: 2017-01-31
Packaged: 2018-01-13 03:24:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 22
Words: 28,378
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1210804
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Carlet/pseuds/Carlet
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hook has one mission and one mission only: to make Emma Swan fall in love with him...or he dies. But what happens when his heart becomes an obstacle along the way? And better yet, how will Emma feel? Could this be the best thing that happens to them?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1: One More Mission

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place after the ep 2x09 and then goes AU. Hope y'all enjoy!   
> Also, I don't own Once Upon A Time or anything related to it.

Chapter 1: One More Mission

The faint outline of the town, partially shrouded in the thick afternoon fog, grew closer and closer with each passing second. With each beat of his heart, he was that much closer to his revenge. To finally skinning himself a crocodile.

His long time ally turned momentary adversary turned ally yet again stood calmly and motionlessly beside him, her hands limply at her sides, her gaze fixed upon the buildings seemingly growing before them. She had on her face what he'd long dubbed her serious face, the face that all should fear.

Pulling out his old spyglass, the smooth metal worn by years of use, he held it up to his eye, examining the place before him. He trusted his ship beyond a shadow of a doubt, having traveled to many worlds together, but there was always the chance that the Jolly Roger had sailed to the wrong place. He looked around, turning his head from side to side, until his eye spied something bright and red that caused a grin to grow on his face. Storybrooke Cannery.

What the bloody hell was a cannery? He wondered vaguely. But that didn't matter. The word Storybrooke caught his eye again. They'd done it.

Upon seeing his wide grin, Cora turned her head and fixed her stern gaze on his face. "See something you like, Captain?" Her low voice hummed.

"Storybrooke." Hook gestured with his spyglass. "We've made it."

Standing in the chilly afternoon, the wind ruffling his hair, he took a deep breath, instantly feeling refreshed. Finally, he was going to get what he came for. He snuck a look at the dark tattoo etched on his arm and gently brushed over it. Finally, Milah would be avenged.

Before long, the ship was docked. To ensure that no one came across it, Cora waved her hand and a ripple shot through the air, encompassing the ship. Hook poked at the air above his head with his hook, starting as the hook made contact with something invisible yet very much solid.

"A shield, I presume?"

"To hide the ship." Cora answered.

"Of course." Hook said.

For a moment, both are lost in the simple outline of the town. The town that held the key to their respective missions.

The glint of his hook in the light brought reality back as it brought back the painful memories of the day he first placed the sharp metal instrument onto his stump of an arm.

The day he lost Milah.

"If you'll excuse me, I believe I have a crocodile to skin." Hook growled as he began to make his way to the stairs. "I do wish you the best of luck with your daughter."

"Not so fast." Cora said, and seconds later Hook felt something around his waist, restraining him. He clawed at his waist, but his hands only met air. Of course. Magic.

"I'm afraid I don't see what the problem is." Hook protested. "I've done my duty. I've brought you to Storybrooke. To your daughter. I don't see how killing Rumplestilskin should bother you."

"I'm not quite done with you yet." Cora waved her hands in the air, and he suddenly found himself turning to face her.

"What more do you want? Sweet talking women is a particular talent of mine, I'll admit, but I'm afraid Regina won't take kindly to my appearance."

"I have one more mission for you." Cora answered.

Hook had to bite on his tongue to keep from groaning. "And what will that be?"

"I need you to keep Emma Swan and her nosy parents busy." Cora said simply.

"What exactly does that have to do with reuniting with your dear daughter?"

"Why, my dear captain, everything. You see, Regina thinks I'm dead. But by now, Emma and Snow would've undoubtedly told everyone about my existence. The moment I show up in town, they'll be suspicious, to say the least. The last thing I need are people trying to stop me."

"You have magic." Hook pointed out.

"Ah, but so does Emma." Cora frowned. "Maybe even stronger than mine. And that is exactly why I need you as a distraction." She leaned in real close, her face inches from his. "Make her fall in love with you." Her voice was low and dangerous, and he could see the intensity in her eyes.

"How exactly am I supposed to kill Rumplestilskin while trying to woo Swan?" Hook wrinkled his nose.

"You'll figure it out. I have complete faith in you." A grin crept across Cora's features. "You said so yourself "Sweet talking is a particular talent of yours." She said sweetly.

"And what if I refuse?"

"Then you die." Cora said simply. And with that, she disappeared in a puff of purple smoke, leaving Hook in a confused muddle of thoughts.


	2. Chapter 2: Change of Scenery

Chapter 2: Change of Scenery

In a word, Emma Swan was bored. She couldn't remember the last time she felt this way. For most of her life, simply struggling to survive took up most of her attention, time, and energy. Every day was a battle. Even after establishing herself as a bail bonds person and having a steady income, that came with a whole new set of challenges.

Moving to Storybrooke made things a little easier, but then she'd begun her unofficial battle against Regina. Thinking up ways to one up or thwart the Evil Queen was no easy matter, for Regina was quite skilled at doing so as well. There had been the whole matter of dealing with Henry: making sure he got home in time, dealing with his fairy tale obsession, getting to know him, and of course, saving him from that cursed turnover.

And then falling into a portal and landing the Enchanted Forest hadn't exactly been a cakewalk. From ogres to giants to Regina's crazy mother, she always had to be on her toes.

Even she and Regina had been getting along pretty well. At first, Emma had been wary of her, remembering their history. But then Henry had told her that she'd played a key part in bringing them home. And the Evil Queen had looked pretty sincere. So Emma had agreed, albeit tentatively, to let Henry stay with his adoptive mother a couple weekends each month. She was his mother, after all.

So yes, Emma was bored. For the first time ever, there wasn't anything to deal with. Nothing that was threatening her life. She had enough to eat, a steady and mostly safe job, and nothing to worry about. And that was completely unnerving.

She couldn't help but think that this was the calm before the storm. Her life was never this calm. She could feel deep in her bones that something was about to happen. But what?

As per her usual routine, Emma strode into Granny's at exactly 8 am for her morning coffee run before work. Except this time, she had a coffee order for two, as David was now her deputy. He'd taken over her job during her time in the Enchanted Forest, and it felt wrong to just leave him without a job. Deputy was much more his speed than animal rescue worker.

"Morning." Ruby said cheerfully as Emma approached the counter. "Same as usual?"

"Yep. But make that two."

"Got it." Ruby scribbled something down on a pad. "That'll just be a few minutes."

"Great." Emma said as she sat on a stool to wait. Though she liked Granny's coffee, she really should invest in a coffee maker for the station. It hadn't really been a priority before, with dealing with Regina and all, but now things had died down, it would be probably be more convenient to make her own coffee every morning.

As the diner gradually began to fill up, Emma sat back and listened to the hustle and bustle of Storybrooke's residents. It felt like, well, home. She looked around the room and was startled to find that she'd actually really missed this place when she was gone.

Turning towards the door to wave at Archie, who strode through the door, umbrella in hand as usual, she suddenly spotted something out of the corner of her eye. A dark haired man in a long leather coat, striding purposefully down the street. Was it her imagination or did that look like…Hook?

Standing up, she quickly crossed the room towards the window and pressed her nose against the glass, searching the streets for him. She was startled to find that part of her actually wanted to see him. After their last encounter, in which he'd saved Aurora's heart, she'd wanted to apologize for leaving him atop the beanstalk. Turned out he wasn't that bad after all.

"Emma, coffee's up." Ruby said cheerfully, causing Emma to jump in surprise, effectively tearing her away from the window. Deciding that it was just a trick of the light, she walked over the counter. There were tons of people who wore leather coats, right?

Collecting the two coffee cups, as well as a bag of pastries she'd decided to buy at the last minute, Emma exited the diner, taking a sip from one from one of the cups, letting the rich flavors dance on her tongue. Coffee was one of the things she'd missed most in the Enchanted Forest. It was good to be back.

She walked down to the street towards her car, struggling to balance everything while rifling through her pocket for her keys. Juggling had never been one of her strong suits, and just as luck would have it, as soon as her fingers hit the cool metal of her car keys, she fumbled and they came tumbling down, hitting the pavement.

"Dammit." She cursed quietly as she bent to pick them up, placing the coffee and pastries on the ground. And that's when she saw it again. The same man in the leather coat, heading towards the park.

Coffee abandoned, she started towards him. Almost immediately, as if he sensed her following him, he quickened his pace. Emma followed suit and took off at a jog, feet flying down the pavement. He looked backwards and sped up even more. She craned her neck, desperate to see if it was Hook, but all she could see was the slope of his nose.

Why am I doing this? She asked herself. Chasing after a strange man in the park. But she had to know if it was him.

She chased him down the street, weaving in between startled pedestrians and parents walking their kids to the bus stop, all while squinting at the figure.

It was him. Emma realized with a gasp. She recognized the familiar shape of his back. And who in the world wore leather pants on a Monday morning? Was that a hook, glinting in the morning light? Yep, it was definitely him. But what was he doing here? And then it occurred to her that if he was here, Cora must be too. That was not a good sign.

He was heading towards the men's bathroom in the park. Somewhere she couldn't go. Sneaky bastard. With a renewed burst of energy, she took off in a sprint, launching herself straight at him, tackling him into the grass. They fell down, Emma being sure to keep all of her weight atop him, in case he tried to escape.

"Are you trying to kill me, lass?" He grunted, voice muffled by the grass.

"What are you doing here?" Emma growled. "How did you get here?"

"Why, I came to see you, love." He lilted. Emma rolled her eyes and wrenched his arm behind his back painfully, causing him to groan loudly.

"What are you doing here?" She repeated, twisting his arm until he answered.

"All right, all right. I came through a portal. The same one that brought you and your dear mommy back."

She sat back on her heels, momentarily startled. What? She'd thought that the portal had closed right after she and Mary Margaret jumped in. Apparently, she'd been wrong.

He wriggled beneath her until he was on his back, facing her. "You know, if you wanted me on my back, all you had to do was ask." He smiled with a cheeky grin. "We could stop this and do more enjoyable activities, if you know what I mean."

"Funny." She snapped. "You didn't answer my question. What are you doing here?"

"Change of scenery?" He tried.

"Doubtful." She shot back, reaching back for her gun. "You have one more try. What are you doing here, Hook? Where's Cora?"

At the word Cora, something shifted in his eyes, but just as quickly as it came it passed. "You know, I can read you like an open book, lass. I know that you aren't gonna use that metal wand in your hand on me, because I won't be able to answer your questions if I'm dead."

Dammit, he was good.

As if sensing her uncertainty, he continued. "If you let me up, I'll answer anything you want. I promise I won't try to run." He winked. "Who am I to deny a woman who wanted to see me so bad she tackled me to the ground?"

Watching him carefully, she stood up slowly, and he did the same. She faced him, crossing her arms over her chest. "Where's Cora?" Emma enunciated every word, her voice low and dangerous.

"I haven't a clue." Hook said as he dusted himself off. Emma glared at him. She couldn't tell if he was lying, and that bugged her to no end. What was it that Mary Margaret said? That her superpower tended to be unreliable when she let her emotions get in the way?

Right. What emotions? Right now, she was just annoyed by a smarmy, smart mouthed, innuendo loving pirate.

"You sure?" She eyed him disdainfully. "You two seem to be pretty tight."

"Well, what can you say? It wasn't like she left me to die atop a beanstalk." He retorted.

"You made it back just fine." Emma said flatly.

"The only thing I excel at is surviving." He pointed out. "Amongst…other things." He said, raising his eyebrows suggestively.

Yet again, he'd managed to dodge her questions.

She grabbed the collar of his shirt, pulling him real close, until their noses were practically touching. Vaguely, it occurred to her that she was currently pressed up tightly against his firm, toned chest. And that it felt…good? "Listen, buddy. I have a fully loaded gun and I'm not afraid to use it. I may not kill you, but I know how and where to use it to make it hurt."

He stared back at her, the intensity of his stare practically burning a hole through hers. But he stayed mum.

"Alright, fine. Don't answer me." Emma released him. "But rest assured that I'll be keeping a close eye on you from now on."

"I'd despair if you did." He simpered.

Emma rolled her eyes. "Whatever you're up to, it's gonna fail." She shot him a smirk as she turned to go.

Hook waited until she was well out of earshot before muttering quietly, "Don't be so sure, lass. I can be quite charming when I want to be."

Emma didn't know why, but she decided not to tell anyone about Hook's appearance just yet. But that was a bad idea on so many levels. For all she knew, Hook and Cora were here, ready to wreck havoc on the town. Maybe they were here to kill her and her family. In any case, they should all be preparing for battle.

She trusted that Hook would stay hidden. If there was one thing she knew about him, it was that he wasn't stupid. Highly irritating, but also sly and cunning.

Emma decided that she would just have to lie low and keep a very close eye on him until she figured out what he was up to. Better to do that then freak everybody out. The second he slipped up (and she knew he would), she would pounce. She would just have to watch him very carefully from now on.

Much to her surprise, a smile flitted across her face.


	3. Chapter 3: Coffee and Spam

Chapter 3: Coffee and Spam

True to her word, Emma found herself heading to the grocery store the following afternoon, in search of a coffee maker. If the one at home hadn't broken down, she could've used the one from her apartment in Boston for the station.

Emma slowly perused the selection, wishing that there were more to choose from as she walked down the aisle. As she reached for one of the coffee makers, she heard a squeak, sounding very much like someone's shoe scuffing across the ground. Thinking nothing of it, she picked up another and inspected it. But then there was the squeak again. She turned around, half expecting to see someone there, but she was alone. Twice she thought she saw someone watching her out of the corner of her eye, but when she turned to look no one was there.

Suddenly, she was aware of someone's presence behind her, breathing down her neck. She could practically feel their eyes burning a hole through the back of her head. The hairs on the back of her neck rose as she froze, hand inches from the shiny handle of an impressive looking machine.

"Why, hello love." A low voice in her ear said, causing her to jump horribly and let out a horrible yelp. "Fancy meeting you here."

"Hook!" She hissed as she turned around.

"Yes, that's my name. Thank you for stating the obvious."

"What the hell are you doing here?"

"Same thing as everyone else." He said. "Getting food."

"Oh yeah? And what would that be?"

"I'm here for…" He reached over and plucked the first can in sight off the shelf. "Spam." He read. "Ugh. What the bloody hell is this stuff?"

Emma couldn't help but laugh at the horrified look that crossed his face; that had been her reaction when she'd first come across Spam as well. "It's food. You eat it." She rolled her eyes as she placed the can back on the shelf.

"Good to know." He said, picking up the can again and inspecting the label. "Some type of meat, I presume?" He wrinkled his nose in disgust.

"Well, actually no I wouldn't exactly call it meat…" Emma began, but then realized who she was talking to. "Are you following me?" She cocked her head, placing her hands on her hips. "I seriously doubt you're here for groceries."

"And how would you know?" Hook countered. "For all I know, you could be the one following me. Here I am, just going about my business, when you pop out of nowhere. Scared me to death." He placed his hand on his heart in a melodramatic gesture.

"That's just ridiculous!" Emma argued. "I'm pretty sure that you were the one who followed me."

"You have no evidence."

"Uh, considering how you just showed up behind me? Yeah, I do."

"Nuh uh." He said, sounding surprisingly childish.

Emma rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say, Hook." She sidestepped him in an attempt to get to the coffee makers. "Just go off and play with yourself somewhere." She said, before realizing too late how that sounded.

With every step she took, she found an amused Hook in front of her, efficiently blocking her way. Each time she reached for a coffee maker, Hook would whisk it off the shelf and make a show out of inspecting it, though it was clear he had no idea what he was holding.

"I knew you couldn't resist me." He smiled as she found him inches in front of her yet again.

"Hook!" Emma threw up her hands in exasperation. "Will you move out of the way?" She sighed exasperatedly.

"Not unless you say please." He laughed. "You see," He leaned in close to her ear. "I hear it's the magic word." His eyes glinted amusedly as he took in her annoyed expression.

"You know what else is just as efficient?" Emma retorted. "This." With one hand, she shoved him aside impatiently.

"Oh, Swan." He said as he straightened himself. "I see you like it rough."

"Got you to move, didn't I?" Emma shot him a tight-lipped grin before turning back to the shelf. She took a deep breath, trying to concentrate on the task ahead. Spying a machine that made two cups, she strode over and examined the box.

Suddenly, she felt a chin on her shoulder. "What's coffee? Sounds about as nasty as Spam."

Emma fake gasped in horror and spun around to face him. "How dare you compare coffee to Spam?" She said, sounding offended. "I'll have you know, coffee is the drink of the gods."

"Really?" Hook didn't sound convinced. "Never had it."

"Didn't expect you to." Emma said. "According to Mary Margaret there weren't any coffee beans in the Enchanted Forest." She shuddered in horror. "Life without coffee. Ugh."

"I've never had any and I've survived pretty well." He pointed out. "Though we did have rum. Now that was a truly amazing invention."

"You haven't lived until you've had coffee." Emma argued. "Even better than rum. Doesn't get you drunk."

"I sincerely doubt that anything can best rum."

"Then you're wrong. You're just saying that because you've never tried it."

"Well I guess you'll just have to take me out for some, won't you Swan?" He winked, before walking off.

It took Emma a good couple of minutes to realize that he'd just asked her out. And she'd unknowingly walked right into his trap.


	4. Chapter 4: Pirate Hunting

Chapter 4: Pirate Hunting

As far as Emma could tell, all in Storybrooke was normal. Better than normal, in fact. Obviously, Storybrooke would never be the crime capital of Maine. But even for a sleepy town, all was calm. From what David had told her, Storybrooke had been the definition of chaos several weeks ago, around the time she and Mary Margaret were in the Enchanted Forest. People had been threatening to leave, crime had increased, and schools and shops had closed indefinitely. But now? Now, she sat around the station, just waiting for something to do.

That just made Emma all the more apprehensive. Instead of a reprieve, this felt like the calm before the storm. This brought her back to Hook. She knew, just knew, that he was up to no good. He was a pirate, for crying out loud. There was no way he'd jumped into the portal just for the hell of it.

Might as well get something done. Emma thought as she jumped up and grabbed her keys and coat. Time to go pirate hunting.

~Walk That Fragile Line~

Emma had no idea where he was staying, but she did know that wherever he was, he was doing a good job of staying hidden. If not, she would've heard something about a "mysterious newcomer" by now, as Storybrooke did not take kindly to outsiders.

She crossed Granny's off the list, since that was pretty much the last place Hook would go, seeing as most of Storybrooke's residents frequented the bed/breakfast. The park? Maybe. That was where the homeless slept. But then again, it was too out in the open. The docks? Well, he was a pirate. Maybe he was sleeping in an abandoned boat or something.

So, that's where she headed. The docks. Armed with her binoculars and a crowbar (from her thief days), Emma began her search. Most of the boats looked fairly new and well kept, but there was one towards the end that stood out in stark contrast. The windows were pretty dusty, making it more likely that he was living in it. She rubbed at the dust with her sleeve, but it was pretty thick. Looking around to make sure she was alone, Emma deftly used the crowbar to wrench open the door, pleasantly surprised that she still knew how to do it.

Guess it's like riding a bike. She thought as she slipped inside. The movement brought back vivid memories of stealing cars and running from cops, memories that suddenly brought tears to her eyes. Memories that she pushed to the back of her mind as she began her search.

She didn't know what exactly she was looking for. Maybe a big poster with the words: Evil Plan? Much to her chagrin, the inside of the boat was fairly innocent. Rundown, but innocent. The controls were covered with a thick cloth and the leather seats had numerous cracks. The floor had clearly seen better days.

But other than that, the boat was empty. Not what she was expecting. She would've thought there'd be a blanket or a stash of food or something. Maybe Hook was a light traveler.

"See something you like?" A familiar voice asked. Emma immediately stiffened and turned around. Hook. Of course. So he was living here.

"Looks like I found your hideout." She said.

"Hideout?" Hook laughed lightly. "I may be a simple pirate, but even I have standards." His eyes surveyed the room. Using his hook, he picked up the dirty cloth. "You honestly couldn't think that I'm staying here." He released the cloth, and a cloud of dust rose into the air.

Emma shrugged, waving away the dust. "Pirates love boats."

"So you decided to just, what, look in every boat until you found me?" Hook slowly approached her. "I believe that's called stalking, darling."

"It's not stalking if I have every reason to do so." Emma pointed out.

"And what's that?" Hook challenged, raising his eyebrows suggestively. "I knew you found me irresistible."

"In your dreams, buddy." She rolled her eyes. "You're a threat."

"Am I?"

"Yes. You are." She said. "You were working for Cora. Or maybe you still are. For all I know, you two are plotting something."

"Well, aren't you quite perceptive." He commented.

"So I'm right."

"I didn't say you were. Why are you so sure I'm evil?" Hook asked.

"You're a pirate." Emma argued.

"And that makes me automatically bad?" Hook responded. "I take back what I said about you being perceptive. You're making assumptions based on what you know. Which I'm willing to bet is nothing. You don't even know me, Swan."

"No, but I know your kind."

"Oh I have a kind now? And what's that?" He asked.

"Selfish. Greedy. Willing to do anything to get what you want, even if it hurts others."

"Unless I'm mistaken, darling, I'm not the one who left someone on top of a beanstalk to die."

"Never gonna let me forget that, are you?"

"Nope." He winked again.

"You know what?" Emma snapped. "I did what I needed to get back to my son. But what about you? You've probably never cared about anyone in your life. Whatever you're doing here, it's not good. The fact that you've worked with Cora just proves it."

"Maybe I was working with her because she was the only who could help me achieve my goal?"

"And what was that?"

"None of your business." His dark eyes glittered playfully.

"And that is exactly why I can't trust you! You won't tell me anything!"

"Maybe I'll tell you over a drink."

"There's no way in hell I'm having a drink with you." She wrinkled her nose at the very thought.

"Tell me this, Swan. Why are you dead set on the fact that I'm here for evil? Maybe I'm here to see you."

"I highly doubt it." Emma retorted.

"Suit yourself." Hook started heading towards the door. "Aren't you coming?

"Where?" Emma asked.

"I believe you owe me a drink. Coffee, wasn't it?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next ch will be their coffee date!


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Drink of the Gods

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold on there." Emma said as she rushed towards Hook, who was walking rapidly down the docks. "You can't just go out there!"

"And why not?" Hook stopped and turned around.

"Because people will see you!"

"Don't worry, I won't bite." He promised.

"Funny." Emma quipped. "But, no. I'm serious. Think about it. Storybrooke is no ordinary town. It's a town full of fairytale characters. Where everybody knows each other. What do you think's gonna happen when you just show up?"

"Good point." He nodded.

Emma was momentarily taken aback. She hadn't expected that he'd agree.

"So what do you suggest we do?"

"I know." Emma said. "How about you lead me to wherever the hell you're hiding and tell me exactly what you're up to before I arrest you and leave you to rot in jail."

"Mmm, sorry love. Not happening." He shrugged. "Besides, you can't throw me in jail."

"Why not?" Emma asked. "I'm sheriff."

"Maybe, but if you put me in your jail, people will see. I'll put up a fight, and a pretty good one. And that's not what you want, now is it Swan?"

Emma blinked angrily. "And how do you know I won't just take my chances and dump your sorry ass in the middle of the road?

"I highly doubt that." Hook said. "Like you said, you're the sheriff. You'll be the one who will have to deal with everyone if they find out about me. Maybe I'll even tell them you brought me here. Who knows? And I have a feeling they won't be very understanding." He pointed out.

"Are you threatening me?"

"Not sure. Either way, are you willing to take that chance?"

Emma glared silently.

"I didn't think so. Looks like you're stuck with me." He grinned. "Don't worry, love. I don't bite." He repeated.

Emma sighed heavily. "So you're saying that I have to help you with God knows what evil plan you have in mind, otherwise you'll ruin my life?"

Hook nodded. "Yes, love. That's exactly what I'm saying." He started walking towards the road again. "Now how about that coffee?"

* * *

"What's this?" Hook reached over to the dashboard, only to have his hand slapped away.

"Don't touch that." Emma snapped.

"What?" He asked. "What's this?" His hand snaked towards the gear shift.

"Don't touch that either." Emma muttered.

He ignored her. "How about this?"

"Don't touch that." She repeated.

Suddenly, bass boomed, filling the car with loud music. Emma yelped in surprise, the car swerving violently."HOOK!" She shouted. "Are you trying to get us killed?!"

"Sorry." He muttered.

"You should be." Emma responded automatically, sneaking a look at him out of the corner of her eye. Seeing his wounded puppy expression, she softened. "Look, I'll tell you everything there is to know about cars. Just not while I'm driving, okay?"

"Deal." Hook agreed. "I don't know how you travel in this thing." He said, looking out the window. "It's going so fast."

"Must be pretty different from a boat, huh?"

"Much." Hook agreed. "My ship is gentle. She doesn't feel the need to travel at this high speed."

Suddenly, Emma noticed how tightly he was gripping the seat, and how his eyes kept darting from side to side, continually looking out the window and at the scenery speeding by outside. "Oh my God. Are you scared?" She raised an eyebrow.

"No." Hook said immediately. "I'm a pirate. I'm not scared of anything."

"You're scared!" She said.

"I'm not." He insisted.

"You know, it's ok to admit you're scared."

"Well, I'm not." Hook said stubbornly.

"Then why don't you let go of the seat?" She teased. "Relax, Hook. We're not gonna die."

"Easy for you to say." He muttered.

* * *

"Made it safely!" Emma said triumphantly as she expertly pulled the car into the lot. "Told you."

"I'll be happy once this  _death trap_ stops moving."

"Death trap?" Emma pressed her hand to her chest. "I find that quite offensive."

"Say what you want." Hook said as he pulled the door open. "I'm never riding in this thing again."

"Suit yourself." Emma responded. "You can just walk."

"Where  _are_ we?" Hook said as he looked around the empty parking lot. There was a small, ramshackle structure before them.

"Pixie Bean Café." Emma said as she slammed the door. "One of the emptiest places you'll find in Storybrooke. Probably because it's in the middle of nowhere. I come here whenever I need some quiet. Coffee's not as good as Granny's, but oh well. Can't risk taking you there."

Hook followed Emma inside the small building, and just as Emma had described, there was no one, save for a sleepy looking barista and a man typing furiously on his laptop by the window. There were three narrow tables and mismatched chairs shoved up against the wall, but other than that there was no furniture.

"How…quaint." Hook said as he surveyed the place.

"I know." Emma agreed. "Not the best, but it'll do."

As they approached the counter, the man with his laptop stared at them curiously, doing a double take when he noticed the hook on Hook's left arm.

"Keep moving." Emma hissed as she pushed him towards the counter. "And keep that thing hidden!"

"What, this?" Hook said as he held up his left arm. The hook caught the sunlight outside, glinting in the otherwise dark café.

"Yes!" Emma whispered as she shoved it back down and pushed him behind her. She shot the laptop man a tight lipped smile. "Early Halloween costume fitting."

"What?" Hook asked, but Emma shot him a look that would send most men into hiding. She stepped up to the counter and ordered two coffees. Luckily, they came relatively quickly, and in no time Emma shoved Hook out the door.

"God, that was embarrassing." Emma sank against the car. She turned to Hook. "You could've ruined everything!"

"Me?" Hook pointed to himself.

"Yes." Emma said through gritted teeth. "Did you see the way he looked at you?"

"Oh, relax." Hook said as he took a swig of the coffee. "He was just jealous. Not everyone can pull off a hook as well as I can." He said, striking a pose that Emma found admittedly sexy.

Then, upon realizing what she'd just thought, her cheeks flamed. "Sure. I'm sure he was." She turned away, hoping he didn't see her burning face. "So what do you think?" She asked, gesturing at the cup of coffee in his hand. "Good?"

He took another sip, savoring it slowly. "Yes, quite." Hook said thoughtfully. "Slightly bitter, yet very tasty."

"I told you." She grinned. "Drink of the gods."

"Yes, I do believe it is." Hook agreed.

Just then, the door chimed as the man with the laptop strode outside. Much to Emma's horror, he approached them.

"Excuse me?" He said. "Sorry to bother you, but do you know where I can get an outfit like that?" He gestured to Hook.

"What?" Emma gaped.

"You know, the outfit. The jacket and the hook. It's a great pirate outfit. Been looking for one this real for ages."

"Uh…well…." Emma stuttered.

Seeing that Emma was at a temporary loss of words, Hook jumped in. "Sorry mate. It's one of a kind. Just like me."

"Oh. Well that's too bad." The man looked at him strangely. "Thanks." He walked off towards his car, a stunned Emma and Hook staring after him.

Their eyes met and suddenly both burst into loud laughter, their bodies wracked giggles.

"Oh my God. It's one of a kind?" Emma wheezed. "That was….brilliant."

Hook grinned. "I am, aren't I?"

"And you had to add the 'just like me'?" She shook her head with disbelief. "Way to not draw attention to yourself."

"What can I say?" He said. "I was just telling the truth."

"I guess you were." Emma surprised herself by saying. "You're one of a kind, alright."

Their eyes met again. Hook slowly took another sip of coffee, his eyes never leaving hers. For a moment, his eyes landed on her lips, and Emma had the strangest feeling that he was about to kiss her. And even stranger, for a moment, she actually wanted him to.

"Um…" Emma turned away, clearing her throat. "It's probably not a good idea if we just stand here." She reached into her pocket for her keys and unlocked the door. "Come on."

* * *

"You know, we can't keep doing this. Hiding out in the forest." Emma said as she drained the last of her coffee. "We gotta get you some new clothes."

They were in the forest, a place that Emma thought was mostly secluded. True, there were many hikers, but now that it was getting colder, she figured that it was safe enough to bring Hook.

"Why?" Hook looked down at his all leather garb. "I'll have you know, plenty of women found me attractive in this."

She rolled her eyes. "Not the point here."

"Oh, so you're admitting that you find me attractive." Hook licked his lips slowly. "I knew it was only a matter of time, Swan. I knew you found me irresistible"

"In your dreams." Emma said dryly. "No, you need to blend in. You like someone straight out of a bad movie."

"A what?"

"Never mind." She brushed the question away. "I mean, did you see the way those kids looked at you earlier? Not to mention that man at the coffee place. Tell you what. Tomorrow's my day off. I'll take you shopping then."

"'What's shopping?" He wrinkled his nose at the very word.

"You'll see." Emma said. She mentally giggled at what she imagined would be Hook's reaction tomorrow.

Every part of her knew that this was probably a bad idea, that she should just arrest him before she was in over her head. She had probable cause anyway, due to their…history. Never mind that that history was in another land.

 _Shopping? Really, Emma. SHOPPING?_  A voice inside screamed.  _Are you insane? He's a pirate! Spending more time with him is a bad idea!_

But there was this small niggling part that was stopping her from doing so, telling her that maybe he wasn't as bad as he seemed.

 _It'd probably be a better idea to watch him and see what he's up to first._  Emma told herself.  _That way I won't make a mistake again._

Besides, how was she supposed to keep an eye on him if she didn't spend time with him?


	6. Chapter 6: Sore Subject

Chapter 6: Sore Subject

"How's everything going?" A voice said from behind.

Hook immediately stiffened, but he plastered a smile on his face as he turned around. "Cora. How lovely to see you. Quite well. And you?"

"Not as well as I'd hoped." A shadow crossed Cora's face. "My daughter does not seem to need me."

"Oh, well, all children need their parents. I'm sure it'll just be a matter of time before you convince her of so."

"I do hope so." She replied. "The thing is, my daughter is not as broken as I imagined she'd be. She seems happy."

"Well, I'm not expert, but isn't that a good thing?"

"No." Cora answered. "Not for my purposes it's not. You see, the only way my daughter will accept me in her life again is if she has nothing. And right now, she doesn't have nothing. I've seen her with a young boy that she calls Henry."

Swan's son. Hook realized. But for some odd reason, he thought it'd be a better idea not to mention this to Cora, lest she use the boy for her own malicious purposes. And he knew that would hurt Emma beyond repair.

Not that he cared, of course.

Cora continued. "There is something special about him, something that I need to figure out. This is not going exactly as I've planned, but in time I'll accomplish what I came here for. And that is exactly why I need you, Captain."

"Well I figured as much."

"How is everything going with Emma? Has she fallen for you yet?"

A chuckle escaped his lips. "No."

Cora grew serious. "Was I not clear in any way?"

"Oh no, you were quite clear." Hook said lightly. "It's just that…you know, these things take time. As charming and irresistible as I am, Swan is a tough nut to crack."

"Figure it out." Cora snapped. "I don't care what you do, but you must make Emma fall in love with you. Find out anything and everything you can about her."

"What about what I came here for? Killing Rumplestilskin?" Hook asked. "I didn't come here to help you with your daughter."

"I know." She responded. "You and I, we've been in this together for many years. When the time comes, I will help you with that. I will see to it that Rumplestilskin dies. You're not the only one who shares a history with him. But for now, if you would like to live to see the day your enemy dies, you will make Emma Swan love you."

And with that, she disappeared in a cloud of purple.

Hook lay on his bed, staring up at the wooden ceiling. The last few days had been nothing but a distraction. A fun distraction, but a distraction nonetheless. He had survived for so long, gone through so much, all with the single purpose to kill the monster who'd taken his beloved Milah away from him. And now? He was so close to achieving that, but instead was just wasting time, spending time with a woman who had nothing to do with his goal.

He supposed that he could try to escape. Go and find a way to kill Rumplestilskin and then run away. But go where? Cora would probably find him long before he could get anywhere far. And how would he kill him? From what he remembered, the crocodile was exceptionally skilled at magic, much like Cora. There was a huge change that Rumplestilskin would kill him before Hook had a change to get revenge.

No, he needed Cora's help. And that meant staying here, spending more time with Swan, trying to find a way to convince the world's most stubborn woman to love him. That was the last thing in the world he wanted to do.

But maybe, just maybe, there was a small part of him that wanted to stay.

Just as they'd agreed, the next morning at 9, Emma met Hook at the docks. He stood at the end of the road, face in a pensive expression.

"You know, this would be a lot easier if you would just tell me where you're staying." Emma quipped as Hook approached her car.

"Not a chance." Hook said, slipping into the passenger's seat. "Ugh, not this bloody vehicle again."

"It's either this or walk thirty miles." Emma replied as she started off towards the freeway. "In the rain."

"Well, I'd prefer that over an early death." Hook commented.

"Sure you would." Emma responded.

"Where are we going anyway?" Hook asked.

"I told you yesterday. Shopping."

"And where are we going to do this shopping?"

"This place I know not far from here. It'd be easier to just stay in town, but we can't risk anyone seeing you in that again." Emma's eyes flicked over his all leather outfit.

"Oh, you know you like it." Hook said, running his hand over the seat. "My, this certainly feels nice."

"Mmhmm. Bet your ship doesn't have those." She muttered. "Watch where you put that thing." She admonished. "The last thing I need is your hook ruining the seats."

"Oh, you needn't worry about that, princess." He smirked. "I'm very skilled with my hook." He raised his eyebrows suggestively, waving the hook in her face. "Wanna see?"

Emma rolled her eyes and swatted his hook away. "No thanks. And don't call me princess."

"Why not?" He asked. "Isn't that what you are?"

"No." Emma said tightly, her eyes focused steadily on the road. "And I'd appreciate it if you don't call me that."

"Well, you're certainly pretty enough." With his hook, he sifted through her tangled blonde hair, lifting it off her neck.

"Hook!" She hissed. "You have no sense of personal space."

"Just trying to have some fun." Hook replied as he settled back into this seat.

"Look." Emma turned to look at him. "This is just a shopping trip, nothing more. We're just going to get you some new clothes. I can still have your ass thrown in jail in a matter of minutes."

Hook opened his mouth to argue, but Emma rambled on. "And yes, I do know the risks. But I'm willing to take them. I can dump you on the side of the road outside Storybrooke and leave you to fend for yourself." And they were, in fact, nearing the town line. "You think I'm tough? Let's see how you feel when you come across cops who are ten times worse and not nearly as understanding as I am."

"So I think, at the very least, that you should keep your hands to yourself and not bother the one person who is saving you from rotting outside." She finished tersely. "Because in the end, don't forget that I'm doing you a favor. The world is a cold, hard place and you should be glad you're not left alone in it."

Hook stared at her for a long beat.

"You were left alone, weren't you?" He asked softly.

Emma visibly stiffened. "You don't know anything about me."

"Maybe not." Hook agreed. "But like I said before, you're somewhat of an open book. You have that look in your eyes. The look of someone abandoned."

"Well, I wasn't." She snapped.

"But…" He started.

"God, would you just give it a rest?!" She screeched, totally out of character.

Hook felt conflicted. On one hand, he knew he should continue pressing her on, to get her to open up, for that would only serve to advance his mission.

But there was a part of him that was holding him back from doing so. Something to do with the look in Emma's eyes and the tightness in which she gripped the steering wheel as she glared at the road.

He felt almost…sorry. Sorry that he'd brought up what was obviously a sore subject.

What was happening to him?


	7. Chapter 7: Not Entirely Horrible

"Here we are." Emma spoke up for the first time in almost an hour as they pulled up in front of a large building.

"We aren't in Storybrooke anymore, are we?" Hook said as he observed the structure before him.

"No." She replied. "It's not like we could shop there, so I drove us to a mall just outside of Storybrooke."

"But there are people here too. Aren't you  _afraid_ to be seen with me?" He teased.

"It's not like we know anyone here." Emma pointed out. "Nobody can leave Storybrooke."

"Except you, I see?"

"Yep. Because I wasn't cursed."

"Ah." Hook said.

They exited the car and walked towards the mall's entrance. People turned and stared on their way in, but that hardly bothered Emma. She just blazed ahead, ignoring everyone.

Hook felt like he should say something."Listen, Swan. About earlier…" He started, but Emma cut him off.

"It's fine." She smiled, but to Hook it was obviously forced. "Let's just get this over with."

And without another word, she pushed through the entrance, Hook quickening his pace to catch up to her. Emma strode through a doorway with the word Nordstrom printed in bright letters.

"What the bloody hell is this place?" Hook looked around in distaste at the numerous racks of colorful clothing.

"This is called a store." Emma replied as she weaved her way through the crowd. "Where people buy clothes."

"Back in my land, we had our clothing specially made."

"We have that here too, but it's pretty expensive. So most people just buy their clothes ready made." She stopped at the men's section and immediately headed for a table covered with jeans.

"How will you know if it fits?"

"You look for the correct size." Emma murmured distractedly as she began sifting through a rack of blazers.

"What?"

She stared at him for a long moment, her brow furrowing in concentration. "I think you might be a 32."

"A what?"

"Never mind. Here." She piled a bunch of hangers into his arm and pointed towards a door. "Go try those on."

Hook obeyed and disappeared. "Try the black and green shirt and the darkest jeans first." she instructed.

"What are jeans?" He called.

"The dark blue pants." She replied, an amused look crossing her face.

"Ugh." He groused. "These things? They're awful. How do you people wear them?"

"Quit complaining. Let's see it when you're done."

Hook came out, dressed exactly how she'd said. "I look ridiculous. These pants you call jeans. So rough."

"No. You look normal." Emma stood up and grabbed a blazer. "Put this on over."

He groaned, but did so anyway.

"Nice." She approved. "Navy blue. Goes with your eyes." A soft smile appeared, a stark contrast from the hunched, angry woman earlier.

Hook opened his mouth to let out one of his usual clever remarks, something about how she found him attractive, but for some odd reason, thought better of it and retreated back into the dressing room.

"These are too big." He called.

"Well, try a smaller size." Emma responded.

"And which would that be?"

She suppressed a groan in frustration, reminding herself that they didn't have sizes in the Enchanted Forest. "The ones with the lower number."

"Maybe this would be easier if you came in here and helped me." He poked his head out, a saucy grin plastered on his face.

"Ha. You're a big boy. You can do it yourself." She said, earning a chuckle from other nearby shoppers.

"Boyfriend or husband?" A woman asked.

"Neither. Friend." Emma replied. She was momentarily surprised that part of her had wanted to say boyfriend.

"You sure?" The woman winked. "Sure seems like you two have a lot of chemistry."

"I'm sure."

"Well then." The woman said. "You know if he's single?" She joked.

"He's not." Emma lied, briefly stunned at her spontaneous lie, as well as her sudden feeling of possesiveness. "Sorry."

Moments later, Hook came out, a belt in his hands, a confused expression on his face. "What am I supposed to do with this?"

Emma stood up again and walked over, taking the belt in his hands. "Here." She began threading it around his waist, and Hook jumped back in surprise.

"My my, love. If you'd wanted a little bit of Hook, you could've just asked. More than happy to give it to you." He whispered in her ear, his rough cheek rubbing against hers. "I see your tough act is just an act." He smirked.

"Always with the innuendos, aren't you?" She commented, her face burning where he'd touched her. "Just teaching you how to put a belt on, since you're too stupid to figure it out yourself."

"Me? Stupid?" Hook placed a hand on his chest, mock offended. "Never." He struck a pose in his new outfit. "So what do you think?" He asked, raising his eyebrows suggestively.

"Nice." She nodded appreciatively. "I have good taste."

"Excuse me?" He cocked his head. "I believe it wasn't for me, the clothes wouldn't look half as good."

In response, she threw another stack of shirts at him.

"More?" He whined. "You have got to be kidding. I've tried on half the clothing in this place. Can we go now?"

"Fine." Emma rolled her eyes. Men. "Wear that blazer and those pants out." She said. "And bring out the rest of the clothes."

As Hook disappeared into the dressing room again, Emma stared at his retreating form, surprised to realize that she was almost sorry to see the leather pants go.

* * *

"Hook?" Emma turned around, expecting him to be right behind her, but he was twenty feet away, staring intently at a mannequin. "What're you doing?" She called.

"How the bloody hell are they standing so still?" Hook asked in amazement.

"They're mannequins."

"What?"

"Think of them as…fake people. To model the clothes. Come on. We still have many stores to hit and a long drive back." She urged.

"Fake people?" Hook wrinkled his nose. "How barbaric." Just then, he spotted a female mannequin, clad in a tiny bikini. "Why hello there." He raised his eyebrows. "Aren't you precious?"

Emma started laughing loudly despite herself. "Hook!"

But he wasn't done yet. Snaking an arm around the mannequin, he winked. "You're looking fine today."

"Enough!" People were beginning to stop what they were doing and stare. "Come on!" Emma marched back and grabbed his arm, dragging him away.

"Sorry!" Hook called after his shoulder at the fake woman. "My woman's getting a little agitated. What can I say? I'm one of a kind!"

"What did I say about drawing attention to yourself?" She hissed as they got in line.

"You've got to admit that was pretty funny, lass."

"Well…yes." Emma admitted. "But still. And I am not your woman!"

They stopped in the shoe department next, where Hook tried on dozens upon dozens of shoes before settling on a few that he deemed "not entirely horrible."

"Why are these clothes so loose?" Hook grumbled, pulling at his new outfit as they exited the store, arms ladled with shopping bags.

"They're not." Emma protested. "What did you expect, skintight?"

"That would be preferable, yes." Hook replied. "You see, that's what the ladies find so enticing about Hook."

"Oh, trust me." Emma quipped. "I'm sure you're still turning heads."

And in fact she was right. As they walked through the mall, women stopped what they were doing and turned to look appreciatively at Hook. Several even whistled loudly, causing Hook to look over and wink.

"Why, hello ladies." He called.

A flare of annoyance rose as she watched women nudge each other and point to the flirty pirate, who waved at them with his good hand. He was  _her_ pirate. Then, she shook her head. Since when did she think of him as hers?

"Oh, for heaven's sake." Emma hissed as she grabbed his hand and marched away. "The last thing you want to be doing is drawing attention to yourself."

"Why not?" Hook argued. "You said so yourself. I look normal now."

In response, Emma held up his left arm. "Hook."

"Yes?"

"No." She shook his arm vigorously. "Hook. Normal people don't have hooks on their arms. What do you think is gonna happen when people see this? They're gonna think you're nuts and call the cops. And then what?"

"I can defend myself." Hook protested.

"Mmhmm. Yeah. One guy with a hook versus a dozen with guns? Keep dreaming." Emma responded dryly. "We need to find a way to disguise the hook. Or maybe you'll have to take it off..."

"No!" Hook said, looking visibly affronted.

"We have to." Emma said petulantly.

"I can't. I refuse."

"It's just a hook." She said. "A substitute for your hand."

"I-it's a part of who I am. Been that way for so long. I can't part with it." He insisted. "Reminds me of who I am and what I stand for."

She stared at him for a long moment, taking in the suddenly vulnerable expression on his face. "Okay."

"That's it? No argument?" He was momentarily stunned, having expected their usual back and forth.

"Nope." She said simply. "I get it." Almost subconsciously, she reached up and touched the swan necklace around her neck.

"Thank you, Swan." He said sincerely.

Emma nodded. "But you have to keep it hidden. No exceptions."

"Understood."

"Good."

As they walked through the mall, Hook noticed that his hand was still entwined in hers. And that it felt weirdly right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyone pick up on the similarities between Hook's hook and Emma's necklace?


	8. Out of Your Element

"Whew, that's the last of them." Emma said as she struggled to close the trunk. "God, I'm exhausted." She sank against the car, pressing her palms against her eyes.

"I must say, I am enjoying these new clothes. Much more comfortable."

"Told ya." She smirked. "Come on. We have a long drive back and I don't wanna hit traffic."

Suddenly, a loud growl filled the air. Emma looked at him in surprise. "Was that you?"

He shrugged. "What can I say? Shopping is more exhausting than I thought. Hence the miserable look on the other men's faces in the store."

"You didn't even do anything! I carried the bags out and I found all the clothes! All you had to do was try them on." She protested.

"That's still work."

She rolled her eyes. "Sure. Sure it is." She looked at her watch. "Well, it's almost 5, and we'll probably just be stuck in traffic now. Why don't we go get something to eat?"

* * *

"McDonalds?" Hook wrinkled his nose. "What the bloody hell is  _that_?"

"Food." Emma answered simply. "I'm not its biggest fan either, having had it way too many times with…" She stopped abruptly. "But it's fast and simple. It'll have to do."

She had been on the verge of revealing something, Hook was dead sure. The only question was, how would he get her to spill?

He followed her inside the brightly lit building, where he stopped and stared at the shiny benches and sticky looking kids. "Well this is…interesting." His voice dripped with sarcasm. Just then, he spied a toddler sporting a paper pirate hat and a plastic hook.

"That's not very realistic." He observed, picking up the toy and staring critically at it. The toddler took one look at Hook and promptly burst into tears.

"Just go find a seat! And don't talk to anyone!" She hissed, turning to smile apologetically at the kid's parents, who were throwing her dirty looks. "Sorry, he's off his meds today."

She quickly stepped up to the counter and ordered, and within minutes arrived at the table Hook had chosen with a tray full of steaming food. "Here. Eat up."

"What is this?" Hook said, a bemused look on his face as he held up a French fry to the light. "Some kind of grain?"

"Not exactly. It's a French fry." Emma said. "It's a potato but sliced up in tiny pieces and deep fried…oh, you know what? Just eat it."

Hook still looked uncertain. "People actually eat this?"

"Yes." She gritted her teeth. "Just eat it. People are staring."

He shrugged. "I've lived through worse." And with that, plopped it into his mouth. He chewed thoughtfully. "Well, it's not bad. A little dry though."

"Try this." She shoved a packet of ketchup across the table towards him.

"Much better."

"Here." Emma handed him a burger. "Meat and a bun. Please tell me you recognize meat and bread."

"Well, not in this form, but yes love I do know what meat and bread is. I'm a pirate, not a complete idiot." He replied.

"I'll beg to differ." Emma muttered.

"Funny." Hook said. "If I recall, you were quite out of your element in the Enchanted Forest."

"I…at least I didn't make a big fuss over everything!" She sputtered.

"Yes, you did." He replied. "Practically refused to eat anything."

"Well, the food there was weird! I mean, chimera? Who the hell eats that?"

"Everybody, love. Everybody. And I could say the same about your food." He cocked his head to the side. "Ah, can't argue with that can ya?"

"Whatever. Just eat your burger. We have a long drive."

* * *

"Aw, crap." Emma groaned. "We're almost out of gas."

"So?" Hook said from the passenger's seat, where he was polishing his hook. "Get some more."

She shot him a look. "That's what I'm doing, Sherlock."

Luckily, there was a gas station open not far. Emma hopped out of the car. "I'll be right back. Stay here and don't touch anything."

"Well sorry to disappoint, lass, but I do believe I'm touching the seat."

"Real mature." She fired back.

Emma was back moments later, only to be greeted by an empty car. "Really?!" She leaned against the door in frustration. Five, ten, fifteen minutes passed. She wanted to go look for him, but she couldn't just ditch her car. A gnawing feeling began growing in the pit of Emma's stomach. Three times she contemplated just driving off and leaving him, but she couldn't bring herself to do that.

Then there was a rap on the window, and she looked up to see Hook standing outside.

"What the hell?!" She screeched, slamming the door to the car. "The one thing I told you to do was stay in the car! And that's the one thing you couldn't do, wasn't it?" She ranted, pacing around the empty gas station. "God! I knew this was a mistake! It's like you can't follow instructions! Just keep quiet, don't draw attention to yourself, and you do the exact opposite! All freaking day! Do you have any idea how frustrating it is? To always have to cover for you? And it's not like you're making it easier! I wasted my entire day, helping you, and this is how you repay me? By disappearing?!"

There was a long, tense silence.

"Well, if I'd known how angry you would've been, I certainly never would've left to get these." He held up his hand.

And that's when she noticed the two cups of coffee delicately balanced in his good hand "What?"

"Coffee. You do like that, don't you?"

She blinked. "Y-yes but…" And then it dawned on her. "You left to get me coffee?"

"You know, for an incredibly smart woman, you are remarkably slow."

"How did you get the money to…?" Emma shook her head. "Never mind, I don't wanna know."

"Are you gonna take it?" He held it up. "It's rather hot."

She took one of the cups, suddenly feeling shy. "I'm sorry for yelling at you. That was out of line."

"But everything that you said, it was correct. I  _did_ make things harder for you. And I'm sorry." Hook started.

"No…" Emma protested. "Look, I get it. You're out of your element here. I should've been more patient."

"Nah. I've given you plenty of reasons to abandon me." He pointed out. "But you haven't. So…thank you."

Suddenly, without warning, Emma reached up and kissed him on the cheek. And then froze. She didn't know who was more shocked: Hook or herself.

"What was that for?" He asked.

"Thanks for the coffee. It was really sweet. And for what it's worth, it wasn't a waste of time. I had fun."

 _I had fun._  Emma didn't know what surprised her more: the kiss or the fact that she actually meant what she'd said.


	9. The Sooner the Better

Chapter 9: The Sooner the Better

Without even realizing, Hook's hand hadn't left his cheek since he'd lain down on his bed that night. For the first time in forever, he felt warm inside. Warm and content. Today had been fun. More fun than he'd had in a very long time. And if he was being entirely truthful, he'd pulled half the stunts he did just to bring a smile to her face.

That kiss had been a major achievement. But instead of triumph that he'd progressed, he felt…almost giddy. Hook hated to admit it, but he was already looking forward to what tomorrow would bring, already anticipating their inevitable banter. Earlier, as he'd exited her car, she'd mentioned something about finding him a place to live. Obviously she still thought he was living in that abandoned boat or in the forest like a barbarian or something.

Was that guilt? Captain Hook did not feel guilty, nor did he have anything to feel guilty for. Ugh. This whole situation was making him dizzy. Hook swung his legs out of his bed and pushed open the door to outside. Maybe some fresh air would clear his head.

Cora stood outside, waiting for him.

"Cora." Hook said in greeting.

"You're back late, Captain."

"Yes, well. Long drive." He answered.

"Cars are so strange, aren't they?" She replied. "New clothes. They suit you." She observed.

"Thank you." He bowed in response.

"How is everything going?" It was obvious by the sinister undercurrent in her voice that she was here for more than casual banter.

"Quite lovely." He hoped to try and keep the conversation light, for he had a strong feeling that something was about to go wrong.

"Good, good." She began pacing the ship, and for some reason this made Hook nervous. "Has she told you anything that might be of importance?"

"No." Hook answered. "I can honestly say she hasn't. She is a bit taciturn. Quite frustrating, actually."

"Well you must try harder, my dear Captain. I would hate to dispose of you after everything we've been through together." She said pleasantly, making it all the scarier.

"Aye. Of course." Hook nodded in understanding.

"Oh, I have one more mission for you."

"Another?" He frowned.

"Yes, it's quite simple, actually. You needn't worry. I want you to kill her."

The world just about froze. " _What_?" A nervous chuckle escaped his lips. "You want me to what?"

"Kill her." Cora said simply, as if she was merely describing the weather.

"Right now?"

"Oh no, of course not." She simpered. "When the time is right, and I'll let you know when that is, I want you to rip her heart out. I trust that you still know how to do so."

Hook nodded distractedly. "Yes, yes. But why?"

"Because she's a threat. And a big one. She is the product of true love, much stronger than Regina or myself can ever be. She will possibly be the only thing standing between Regina's and my happiness."

"Well why can't you do it?" He asked.

"I've already tried, but she was able to resist me. My dark magic repels hers. But you? You  _have_ no magic. You'll be able to do it. Any objections?" Cora raised an eyebrow.

"Oh no." Hook shook his head. "Of course not."

"Good. I'll see you soon." And with that, she was gone.

* * *

Kill her. He had to kill her. Rip her heart out and crush it front of her. Watch as she fell to the ground, never to rise again. Never to open that mouth and argue with him. Never to roll her eyes at him again. The very thought was making him nauseated.

But then again, it wasn't like he cared. Emma was nothing more than a pawn, a way for him to achieve his ultimate goal: killing Rumplestilskin. The sooner he took care of her, the sooner he could move on to what he came here for.

A small gnawing feeling of dread began to grow inside as the full force of what he would have to do hit him. And then something occurred to him, hitting him so hard he had to sit down to fully process it.

He was bloody falling in love with Emma Swan.


	10. Much Stronger

Chapter 10: Much Stronger

"So, since it's not like you can stay at Granny's, I thought we'd go apartment hunting today." Emma announced the next morning. They were at the Pixie Bean Café again, which Hook was surprised to learn served breakfast. More specifically, they were hunched in the car, which was parked in empty lot, behind a big bush.

"Why?" He took a swig of his coffee. He'd grown accustomed to the taste and was shocked to find out that he actually enjoyed it.

"Because it's not like you can keep staying in…" She prompted, but Hook shook his head.

"Damn!" She said. "Anyways, I picked up a bunch of brochures this morning, and we can go look at them later. I can just get the apartment in my name, of course, and no one will ever know."

"Swan…you don't have to do this." Hook said, feeling a stab of guilt as he looked into her carefree face. "Don't you have work to do?"

"Nope." She answered breezily. "Not really."

"I know you didn't leave me on that beanstalk for nothing. Don't you have a son?"

"He's with Regina for the next week." Emma answered.

"Other family, then?"

Something flashed in her eyes, something unreadable that Hook filed away to dissect later. "Look, I said I can do it."

"But I'm fine where I am." Hook protested.

"And where would that be?" Emma raised an eyebrow. Hook stayed mum. "Really? You still won't tell me?"

"Nope." He shook his head vigorously.  _Because if you knew the truth, love, you'd never forgive me._

"Well, wherever it is, I'm sure it's pretty crappy." She turned back to her stack of brochures.

Suddenly, the question that had been on the forefront of his mind since the previous night tumbled out of his mouth. "Why are you being so nice to me?"

Emma looked at him, startled. "I'm always nice." She protested.

Hook laughed. "Hardly, lass. If I recall, you..."

"Left you on top of a beanstalk to die." Emma completed automatically. "Yeah, yeah. I get it. You should really get a new catchphrase."

"That would mean giving you a reason to hurt me again. No thanks."

She smiled wryly. "Since when do I need an excuse?" Casting aside the flyers, she started the engine. "Come on let's go check out apartment #1."

* * *

"This is where people live?" Hook walked around, peering at the apartment in disgust.

"Yes." Emma said testily. "Come on, it's not that bad. I've lived in worse." She muttered.

They looked around the tiny studio apartment, at the peeling paint on the walls, the stained windows, the narrow, dirty space where the refrigerator used to be, and the dust bunnies on the ground.

"Ok, it's pretty bad." Emma admitted. "But it's nothing a little paint and a lot of elbow grease can't fix."

"Really, love." Hook said. "You don't have to do this."

"Yes, I do." She insisted. "That way I can keep an eye on you at all times."

"Oh?" Hook raised his eyebrows. "Is that so? I knew you had a thing for me."

"Not a chance." She responded. "You still won't tell me what you're up to, and I can't risk having anyone see you. This is the perfect solution."

"So you want me to stay in here, in this filthy hell hole, all day?"

"Exactly." She grinned. "I knew you'd catch on."

"And what if I refuse?"

"Then it's off to jail with you!" Emma replied cheerfully, turning towards the door. "Come on. Time to go furniture shopping."

* * *

"Whew!" Emma said as she slammed the door with her hip, boxes piled in her arms. "That's the last of em."

"You know, lass." Hook commented as he strode inside, a bag balanced on his hook, "For a small woman, you're remarkably strong."

"Thanks." She grunted, trying to move a table that was clearly too big for one person. "Uh, a little help?"

"Oh. Right." He replied. Together, they managed to shove the offending table against the wall.

"There!" She stood back proudly. "Looks pretty good, if I do say so myself."

Hook looked around the now furnished studio apartment, and even he had to admit that it wasn't half bad. Much more welcoming than his ship. Or maybe that had to do with the fact that she was there. The once awful looking room had been transformed into a cozy little place, with strings of what she called Christmas lights strung over the windows, cheerful little lamps strewn around, and a big throw rug. The walls were now a gleaming beige, and the windows scrubbed to perfection.

He'd been planning to just continue living on his ship, but maybe he'd stay here once in a while.

"I should probably go." Emma said, looking at her watch. "It's getting late. Don't need the parents on my case. I'll see you tomorrow, and you better be here."

Suddenly, he didn't want her to go. "Wait." He said, causing her to turn around. "Want to try some of the best damned rum in all the lands?" He pulled out a bottle from his jacket.

Emma looked at him suspiciously. "Where did you get that? Did you steal it?"

"No." He snorted. "I made it." He lied. In actuality, he'd snuck back to his ship when she was out buying furniture.

"You can make rum?" Her eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"Yes. It's, shall I say, one of my many talents."

"I'm sure it is." She replied. "But really, I should really be going."

"Come on, love." He said. "Just one drink. You made me try coffee, so it's only fair that you try what  _I_  consider to be drink of the gods."

"Oh, come on. You enjoyed the coffee. And I've had rum before."

"Well, yes. But I guarantee mine's much better." He insisted.

"Fine. One drink." She sat down at the table.

One drink turned into three, and several hours later, the bottle was empty. Emma and Hook found themselves pleasantly buzzed. Their faces were red and their sides ached from laughing at things that Hook suddenly found ridiculously funny.

The weird thing was, he'd grown so use to his particular brand of homemade rum that it barely had an effect on him anymore. So why did he feel so elated and giddy? So drunk? Maybe he'd mixed up the recipe.

Or maybe he was drunk on  _her._

"Your place looks great." She commented, looking around again. "I did a really good job."

"That you did, lass." He agreed, raising his glass for a toast. She clinked hers against his and threw back the contents, barely wincing at the strong taste.

"I should really go." Emma said as she stood up, stumbling clumsily sideways.

"Whoa, careful love." He stood up, reaching out to catch her before she could hit her head on the table. "My rum's much stronger than what you're used to."

"I think you better stay the night." He said, half carrying her towards the bed in the opposite corner of the room.

She murmured something that sounded like a protest.

"No buts, lass." He replied. "Wouldn't want you driving home in that death trap like this."

Suddenly, he was aware of how close she was, her face mere inches from his. He could feel her light breaths tickle his cheek. One of his arms supported her, holding her up, while the other reached out and swept a stray lock of hair off her face. Emma blinked up blearily at him, and suddenly, her lips were on his. Her lips moved frantically against his, and her hands reached up to run through his hair, causing a chill to go down his spine.

Before he knew what he was doing, he grabbed her hips and pulled her closer, his Hook on the nape of her neck, pulling her even closer still, eradicating all distance between them. As his hand snaked under her shirt, tugging it off, he dimly wondered how it was possible for anyone's skin to be that soft.

They fell back onto the bed, both unaware of the sudden action as they were both consumed in immense passion. Her lips left his as she started leaving butterfly kisses along his neck, and her hands slowly made their way up his shirt, pulling it off, massaging his toned chest as he brought her lips back to his. He then mimicked her previous action and started kissing her neck softly. He continued this for quite some time and stopped thinking. Just let go and enjoyed the moment.

Suddenly, Hook became aware of the fact that Emma had become very still. Pulling away, his skin immediately burning at the loss of contact, he was startled to find that she was fast asleep. He pulled out the blanket from the foot of the bed and gently covered her with it.

"Much stronger, indeed." Hook said, chuckling to himself.

 


	11. Afraid

Chapter 11: Afraid

Emma struggled into consciousness and instantly realized that that had been a severe mistake. Her head was pounding so fast she could feel her entire body pulse, seemingly as if there was some asshole banging a drum inside. The taste in her mouth was so awful, her stomach was violently revolting. The one thing that she was thankful for was that it was dark. And quiet. She had no idea, but suddenly the idea of light or noise was horribly unwelcome.

She couldn't figure out why her pillow was so hard, or why it felt like...skin? And then it occurred to her that her pillow had a heartbeat, and one that was fairly loud.

She was definitely not at home.

For a moment, panic seemed to cloud her thoughts. Whose bed was she in? Who was she with? More importantly, how had she allowed this to happen, allowed herself to lose control? She had vowed to never let this sort of thing happen again.

A startled cry escaped her lips as she realized her current situation. She was in Hook's bed. And not just in bed with him, but pressed up against his side, her leg in between his. Her left arm was flopped across his stomach, and to make matters worse, one of his arms was over her shoulders, effectively hugging her close.

She, Emma Swan, was  _cuddling._ With Captain Hook, no less!

Or maybe trapped was more like it. There was no way out without waking him up, and she was not about to do that. About to listen to his constant stream of never ending innuendos. Just the thought of the sheer number of comments he'd surely have when he figured out their current situation was making her sick.

She had no idea how this had happened. What had they been doing? Suddenly, she became aware of the fact that she was shirtless, in nothing but a slightly tattered bra. And as she looked down at the torso she'd claimed as her pillow, she could see that Hook was shirtless as well.

Oh God. Emma sat up swiftly, almost immediately regretting that quick movement, as the room began spinning violently. No. No, no, no, no, no! They couldn't have…could they?

A loud groan was heard, and Emma looked down to see Hook stirring, his eyes slowly opening and adjusting to the dim light. She briefly thought about making a run for it before he could see her, starting to slowly slide off the bed, but then his eyes fully opened, and it was too late.

"Where do you think you're going, love?" He murmured lazily.

"What happened?" She demanded, and then winced at the pitch of her voice.

Hook slowly sat up and stretched. Emma couldn't help but admire his toned chest. She had this vague memory of running her hands up and down it, causing her to blush. She forced her eyes away, cheeks burning.

"Well, by the looks of it, we fell asleep." He answered.

"No shit, Sherlock." She snapped, managing to sound as angry as possible while keeping her voice down. "I mean what happened?" She gestured wildly between them and their current state of half undress.

"Isn't it obvious?" He raised an eyebrow. "You finally surrendered to your need for me. I've got to say, lass, you're not half bad."

"I can't believe you're joking about this!" Emma cried. "What the hell's wrong with you?"

"Me?" Hook gaped. "I'm not the one who nearly passed out on the floor. At least I was enough of a gentleman to put you to bed."

 _I did what?!_ Emma thought wildly. "Oh, so that's what you did, huh? Because I don't think getting into bed requires taking my shirt off!"

"I think you did that yourself, actually." He said, scratching his head. "Not quite sure."

"You're despicable." She hissed, retrieving her shirt from floor. "You were so desperate to get me in bed that you got me drunk with your crazy rum. I should've known this would happen. You probably had this planned all along."

"I may be a pirate, but I would never take advantage of a woman while she's intoxicated." Hook argued. "Wouldn't be any fun." He added, almost as an afterthought.

"Looks like you did!" She screeched, completely missing the fact that her jeans were still on. "You know what? I'm outta here."

"I think you're overreacting a bit there, love. Nothing happened."

"Yeah? Well I guess we'll never know, will we?!"

"Why are you so afraid?" He asked suddenly.

"What?" Emma laughed dryly. "Afraid?"

"Yes." He said. "Look. Nothing happened. We just kissed and you fell asleep. Nothing more. You know that. And yet you're acting like I've just murdered your family in cold blood."

She didn't answer, just glared angrily, arms crossed.

"Come on, darling." Hook said, crossing the room towards her, placing his hands on her shoulders. She stiffened at the contact. "Think of all that time we spent together. You know me. You can trust me."

"No." She shook her head, moving backwards until she was out of his reach. "No, I don't think I do. Because you're nothing more than a filthy  _pirate!"_

And as she slammed the door, it occurred to her that it had felt…nice, waking up in his arms like that.

 


	12. Key to His Heart

Chapter 12: Key to His Heart

Thankfully, the apartment was empty that morning, as Emma pulled the door open and slid inside. She didn't know why, but the idea of seeing other people seemed very unappealing at the moment. The apartment, always flooded with light, caused her to immediately squint, so she stomped over towards the curtains and yanked them shut, nearly tearing them off. Much better.

Next stop, the coffee machine. Emma yanked open the cupboard and cursed loudly when she discovered that they were out of coffee beans. Ugh. Was the world determined to make her suffer? Slamming the cupboard shut, she reached for the next best thing: a tall glass of water and a couple of Advil.

She was so busy sulking that she didn't notice the quiet click as the front door opened. "Mom?"

Emma turned around. "Henry? What are you doing back so early? Aren't you supposed to be at Regina's?"

He frowned. "No. I was supposed to come back today. Actually, you were supposed to pick me up this morning, but when you didn't show up, Regina drove me back."

Emma groaned, pressing the backs of her hands against her eyes. "Right. God. I'm sorry. I got a little…sidetracked with something at work." Suddenly, she was grateful that he hadn't been here last night, or he would've picked up on the fact that she hadn't come home.

"A-are you ok?" He asked, taking in her frazzled appearance. "You seem a little…" He stopped, unsure of what to say next.

"I'm fine." She answered. "Just a little tired."

"Are you sure?" Concern was written all over his face.

Suddenly, Emma was sick. Sick of everyone all up in her business. "I'm fine, ok?" She snapped, causing her son to jump at her sharp tone. "God! Just leave me alone!" She said, and then immediately regretted it.

He backed up. "Ok."

"Ugh. Henry. I'm sorry." Emma sighed. "Just having an off day. I'm gonna go take a shower."

But before she could escape to the privacy of her room, there was a sharp rap on the door. Mentally groaning, she strode across the room and pulled it open. "What?!" She practically snarled.

"It's lovely to see you too." Came the cheerful voice of Gold.

She just stared at him, suspicious. He had an unreadable smirk on his face. What did  _he_  want? "Anything I can help you with?"

"As a matter of fact, yes." He answered. "As I recall, you owe me a favor."

"Yeah. So?"

"So, I'm cashing that in now."

"Ok. What do you want?" She asked, placing her hands on her hips.

"I need your help to find my son." Gold replied. "So pack your bags and I'll be back at noon." And with that, he limped away.

Emma gaped after him. Noon? That was in like, half an hour! Talk about bad timing.

* * *

Hook paced around his apartment, unable to sit still. That's what he'd been doing ever since she'd left. Just pacing. The moment after she'd slammed the door, he'd sat frozen, unsure of what to do. Chase after her? Or let her go?

Should he have apologized? But what for? He didn't even know why she was so angry. Well ok, he did. But she'd initiated it last night, and all he'd given her what she'd wanted. Yes, it was a tad awkward, but she didn't have to react the way she did.

This just confirmed his theory that something had happened in her past, something that caused her to retreat into a deep shell. He could see it in her eyes the first time they'd met, and the stiff way she held herself when that dark haired woman (her mother, he'd learned later) spoke to her. The way she was always so cautious around him. Cautious around everyone, actually. Though she played it off with a thick layer of sarcasm, he could see right through her façade.

He should go after her to, at the very least, make sure she was ok. He knew how strong his rum was and how long the effect lasted. And explain. Explain again that nothing had happened. After all, she held the very key to his survival.

And, if he was being completely honest, the key to his heart.

* * *

Thanks to hours of spying, Hook knew exactly where her apartment was. He figured she'd be there, since there might be people at the station, making it one of the last places she'd be. Just like him, she was most comfortable when alone.

Hook walked quickly down the street, head down, keeping to the shadows, making sure his hook was tucked inside a coat Emma had insisted he buy, due to its long sleeves. Luckily, it was a miserable, rainy day, and the streets were mostly empty.

The whole time he walked, he debated over what to say. Should he even try and explain? He had a strong feeling that she wouldn't be in the mood to listen to what he had to say. He didn't even know why he was so nervous. His heart was pounding and his palms were sweating. He hadn't been this pathetic since, well, since ever. Even as a kid he'd been fairly smooth with girls.

What if her family was there? What would happen when he just showed up? Her father might not recognize him, but her mother sure would. He'd be arrested for sure. He was fairly certain that Cora would come to his rescue after a while, but that would alert everyone to the fact that he was here with Cora, since who else would help him escape. And then that would be the start of a horrible bloodbath.

Funny. Several weeks ago, he wouldn't have cared, as long as it got him to what he wanted. But now? Emma had totally made him soft.

Maybe he should just turn around. Hook was about to do just that when he heard her voice coming from just around the corner. Curious, he flattened himself against the wall of her apartment building, poking his head out.

He saw her and a boy who had to be her son, packing bags into an unfamiliar black car. Where were they going? Was she that mad at him that she'd leave town? That was pretty unlikely. But then again, he had a feeling that she was a runner.

And then he saw  _him._ Or rather,  _it._ His crocodile, who strode around the corner, leaning heavily on a cane. It took all of Hook's self-restraint not to jump out and tackle the creature to the ground, strangling the life out of him. He knew that he had to bide his time and wait for Cora's assistance. Rumplestilskin may be physically weaker in this land, but he was still the Dark One. Especially since he still had that same hungry gleam in his eye.

 _No._  By the looks of it, Emma and her son were heading off on a long journey for quite a while. And with the Crocodile, the most awful, bloodthirsty creature in all the lands. They were in grave danger. And blissfully unaware, as Henry chattered excitedly about something called an airplane.

He had to go after them.


	13. Had to Stop

Chapter 13: Had to Stop

Emma glanced out the window at the foliage passing rapidly by outside. She drummed her fingers along the side of the window and tapped her feet repeatedly, unable to sit still. His face was burned into her mind. The hurt expression on his face as she'd slammed the door to his apartment.

Now that she'd calmed down a bit, she didn't know why she'd reacted like that. It wasn't like they'd slept together or anything; once she'd come to her senses that had been fairly obvious. But that didn't change the fact that he'd taken advantage of her.

This sent a wave of anger through her again. How dare him! After everything she'd done for him: taking him shopping, finding him an apartment, and above all: keeping his sorry ass out of jail. Son of a bitch. If she was being completely honest, she'd actually enjoyed spending time with the charismatic pirate. There was something infectiously funny about him. But that was probably just part of his game, putting up an act and pretending that he was actually interested, just to get women into bed.

Above all, she was mad at herself. After everything that had happened with (she still had trouble saying his name, even in her head)  _him_ , she'd vowed to never let anyone get close again, that it was better to always keep people (especially men) at an arm's length, for she knew that she'd always get hurt.

But not anymore. Now, she knew his true colors. The next time she saw him, she was throwing him in jail. He'd managed to fool her into thinking that he was actually different, that he was a good friend.

 _Friend._ Captain Hook was no friend. He was a dirty pirate. Nothing more.

Emma didn't know what hurt more: the fact that she'd just been a pawn in one of his women conquest games, or that she'd fallen for him.

* * *

After an exhausting flight in which a group of screaming kids had made everyone grumpy, Emma, Gold, and Henry stumbled out of a cab, in front of a ramshackle apartment building.

"Let me guess." Emma quipped as she straightened her jacket. "He's not expecting you." Looking over at Gold, who suddenly seemed very apprehensive, she strode forward. "Well, who doesn't love a surprise?"

They entered the building and approached the buzzer. "There. That one." She pointed out, pressing the buzzer. Just then, they heard a loud crash from overhead. "He's running." Emma realized.

"That favor you owe me." Gold said. "Get him to talk to me. I can't run." He gestured to his cane.

Emma nodded and with that, took after the hooded figure. He was a fast runner, but no match for her; after all, she had lots of practice running after people. This was no different. As she sprinted down the crowded sidewalk, nearly shoving people aside, she was hit with a flash of déjà vu so strong she nearly fell over. This was just like running after Hook several weeks ago.

 _No. Stop. Enough._  She resolved to not think about that anymore. If there was one good thing about this trip, it was that it got her out of Storybrooke and away from him for a while. Even if she was with Storybrooke's creepiest resident.

Spying an open alley, she darted through it and launched herself straight at the hooded man. Both tumbled to the ground, groaning.

She pushed herself up on her side. And then got the worst shock of her life.

"Neal?"

* * *

They'd decided that it would be for the best if they split ways. Neither of them wanted to see anymore of the other. Normally, Emma was one to honor her agreements, but in this case it was impossible.

She headed back to  _his_ apartment building, a deep numbness spreading inside, a feeling she hadn't experienced for 11 years. Fighting to keep her face neutral, she pushed the door open.

"Sorry. He got away." She lied smoothly, unable to meet Gold's eye.

In response, Gold began to punch all of the apartment buzzers, until the gate opened. She stared in horror as he limped towards  _his_ apartment, Henry trotting along cheerfully.

"There are things called laws." She said as he started fiddling with the lock. What if they got inside? What if  _he_ showed up?

"Then I'll see him in court." Gold responded. With a final jiggle, the door popped open and they headed inside, Emma following, dread building up.

She took in the contents of the apartment, a fresh wave of nostalgia hitting her so hard she had to blink back tears. The overwhelming smell of the place caused memories to surface, memories that she hadn't thought about in years. Memories that she'd tried hard to suppress. Taking deep breaths, she struggled to keep her emotions down, to keep a neutral face on. "He's not here. Can we just go?" She hoped her voice didn't waver.

Neither of them answered as they continued to poke around the place. She sighed inwardly and continued to pretend that she was doing the same. Just then, something caught her eye. Something that looked horribly familiar. Striding across the room, she picked it up with both hands and stared at it with wide eyes.  _No._ The dream catcher. He'd kept it?

"What is it?" Gold asked, limping over.

"What?" She looked up, startled. "N-nothing." She placed it back down quickly. Too quickly, for Gold's eyes immediately narrowed.

"You know something." He realized. "Tell me!"

And then Emma realized she was trapped. Maybe it wouldn't be the end of the world if she told him? As long as Henry didn't find out, of course. "Henry, go to the bathroom." She called. He protested, but she merely repeated herself, eyes conveying that she was dead serious.

"Nothing." She reiterated.

"Tell me!" He snarled, stepping closer. For the first time, Emma could see the ugliness written all over his face, and she truly understood why everyone feared him. "We had a deal!"

The door burst open and he stepped inside. "Hey!" He called, and both turned to stare at him.

Gold stepped backwards in shock. "Bae..."

They were talking, but Emma wasn't listening. All she could see was him. In the flesh. Up close. Practically inches away. From both her and Henry.

And then Henry came out of the bathroom. "Mom?"

Emma's stomach sank all the way down to hell as she took in the situation. There would be no escaping this. Her whole world had come crashing down.

* * *

The last time he'd seen them, they were getting out of a yellow vehicle. Weirdly enough, there were so many of the identical yellow vehicles around this place, which made them hard to track down. But of course he'd done it. Once he'd spotted them, he'd darted around the corner and peeked out, as he'd done before so many times.

He'd watched as Emma ran after a hooded figure. What was all that about? Was he some sort of thief? He thought about stopping the figure himself, but that would risk exposing himself and blowing his cover. Who knew what Rumplestilskin would do to him if he saw him? So he bought a coffee from a store nearby and sat outside, sipping it and waiting. For once, he was glad that Emma had forced him to buy new clothes, for nobody looked twice at him, even with the hook glinting from his arm.

Soon, she returned alone, her shoulders hunched down in defeat. Hook could see the change in her demeanor; she seemed to be on the verge of tears. He'd wanted nothing more than to dart out and ask what was wrong, but that would be a bad idea on so many levels.

So he sat, a pile of empty coffee cups around him, and waited.  _What am I even waiting for?_ He'd asked himself several times. It would be so easy to just pick up and leave, but he'd reminded himself that Emma was in grave danger.

 _But why I do care? And what could do about it?_ It wasn't like she was nice. Hell, she wasn't even his friend. He'd tried to be nice but that had resulted in her yelling at him and then stomping out. It was so unfair. He hadn't even done anything wrong. Sure, they'd kissed, but she'd initiated it and besides they had been drunk. That didn't count! Weirdly enough though, he found her cute when she was yelling, the way she'd balled up her fists and stomped her feet.

Hook sighed. There was no denying it. He was falling hard for her. He'd known deep inside that the only person she was in danger of was Cora and well…himself. He'd just used the crocodile as an excuse to follow her.

God, he was in so much trouble. Normally he could pull things off with women ten times prettier than Emma without a hitch. After all, that was how he'd survived all those years as a pirate. Why her? Why now, just as he was so close to his revenge? Out of everyone and all the situations he'd been in, why Emma Swan?

Before he got in any deeper, he had to stop. Stop spending time with her. He would tell Cora that this was impossible. He'd rather die than be forced to kill her.

Just then, he spotted a small figure exiting the apartment building. Emma. He watched as she collapsed against the outside wall, tears beginning to spill down her face.

Before he knew what he was doing, he was on his feet, striding rapidly towards her. All that mattered in the moment was that she was hurting badly, and he had to do something about it. It didn't matter that she hated him, or that he was supposed to kill her.

 


	14. Don't Wanna Be Alone

Chapter 14: Don't Wanna Be Alone

"Swan? What's wrong?" Hook asked with gentleness that he wasn't even sure he possessed. He didn't know what he was expecting, maybe a look of relief or something, but he'd been truly astounded when an ugly sneer crept across her face.

"Not  _you_! How did you even get here?" Emma gaped at him. "Are you stalking me?"

"I saw you get in the car with the crocodile. I came to make sure you were safe."

"I'm fine!" She snapped.

"No, you're not." He replied.

"God!" Emma practically screamed, earning alarmed stares from people passing by. "Would you just leave me alone? I said I'm fine, alright? She snarled, pushing him away with both hands. "You can quit the act. I know you really don't care. Nobody does." She added as an afterthought.

"But I do." He said softly.

"Why?"

Why? Even he wondered why. But he then realized why he did care. He loved her. He really truly loved her. He hadn't wanted to admit it, but she'd captured his heart. But could he tell her?  _Should_  he? He thought about it for a while, trying to find the courage to tell her. His thoughts were broken by Emma, yet again screaming.

"Hook! Why?" She repeated.

He moved closer to her, resting his arm gently on hers. "Because," He took a deep breath. "Because you have my heart. Because…I love you Emma Swan." he finally blurted out.

Silence. There was just dead silence as Emma gaped at him, her mouth open so wide he could see her molars.

Finally, she broke the silence, a noise of disbelief coming out. "I'm sorry. You  _what_? You don't even know me."

"Ah, but I do, darling." Hook replied. "I know you better than anyone."

Emma shook her head. "No. No. No. You don't. That's impossible. You  _can't."_

"And why not?"

"Because." She said stubbornly. "Because…" She trailed off, seemingly at a loss for words. "I don't know!" She stomped her feet in frustration.

"Quite the eloquent response. You know, Swan." Hook started. "You may think you're quite inept at hiding your true feelings behind those walls and that irritating yet quite adorable smirk of yours, but I can see through them, darling. I  _know_ you. I know everything about you."

"Uh-uh. You're lying. You have to be." It sounded as if she was trying to convince herself. "No." Emma repeated.

"I would never lie." He stepped closer, cupping her cheek in his hand. "Not to you, love."

Emma stared at him, horrified. "Don't touch me." She hissed, backing up.

"Why are you so afraid to accept love?"

She remained silent, impassive.

"I know that you've been hurt before." Hook said. "I can tell by that look in your eyes. But believe me, Swan, I will never hurt you."

"You're wrong." Her eyes shone with unshed tears. "You will. Just like everyone else in this damned world. I've dealt with way too many of you people. My parents, Neal, and now Henry…Everyone ends up leaving me. Everyone hates me." Her voice broke, and it seemed as though she was no longer talking about him.

"Everyone was foolish then. But not me. I will never leave you. I  _love_ you." He reiterated.

"You say that now, but I know the truth."

"You can trust me." He insisted.

"Can I? I'm not that naïve little foster girl anymore. I know better." She retorted. "Just do me a favor and fuck off, alright?"

He was suddenly unable to give up. With his hook, he forced her eyes to meet his. "I know that you felt something the other night. You may have been drunk, but I know you. I know that after all that time we spent together, there's a part of you, deep inside, that feels something. Look at me. Look at me and tell me that you feel nothing for me. Tell me that there's not one part of you that wants this." He repeated. "And then I'll leave you alone."

She looked up, struggling to keep her face placid. "I feel nothing. I don't even  _like_ you. Everything was a mistake. I should've just sent you to jail, where you belong."

"Fine." Hook's voice hardened, a lump of dread filling his throat. He didn't need this. He was about to walk away, but at the last minute he turned around, and saw the tears flow, saw her crumple into herself, body wracked with sobs.

And his heart broke.

 _I'm really gonna regret this._  He thought as he found himself turning around, heading back towards her. In a surprising show of strength, he reached out and hoisted her off her feet. "Pirate or not, I cannot leave a lady out here like this."

"Why?" Emma looked up, her teary eyes meeting his serious ones. "Why are you doing this?"

"You may not love me, but I do." Using his thumbs, he reached out to wipe away her tears. "With all my heart. And though you may not like it, I will not just abandon you."

"Everyone else did. I've been alone all my life." She whispered, sighing heavily. "I don't wanna be alone anymore."

"You don't have to be." And before she could protest, he planted his lips straight onto hers.


	15. Broken Beyond Repair

Chapter 15: Broken Beyond Repair

"When I was 17, I escaped the foster system." Emma began. "I was on my own. Stealing, sleeping in random places, running from cops."

"Sounds like you would've made a great pirate." Hook commented.

She half-smiled. "One day, I stole this car. It was just sitting in an alley, abandoned. Not in the greatest shape. I was driving it, and then this guy just pops out from the backseat. Turns out he'd stolen the car too. I'd stolen a stolen car."

"And then we began our life together." Her voice shook slightly. "Exactly what I'd been doing before, but for the first time, I-I wasn't alone."

"We fell in love." Emma continued. "It was the  _best_ feeling ever. To have someone care about me, to have a partner in crime."

"But I take that it didn't last?" He asked.

She shook her head. "No. H-he wanted to stop the Bonnie and Clyde act. Find a place. I remember pointing to a map with my eyes closed. Tallahassee." She smiled sadly.

"I don't get it." Hook butted in. "Just how exactly is that bad?"

"And then one day, he tells me that he's wanted for stealing watches. He was going to escape to Canada, but that would mean that Tallahassee would be out. I-I couldn't bear that. Bear the fact that I'd be alone once again. So I decided to steal the watches for them and fence them. Then we could get fake IDs and go to Tallahassee. But of course it didn't work out that way."

"And then?" Hook prodded gently, placing a hand on her knee.

"And then he sent me to jail." Her eyes glistened with tears. "I took the fall for a crime  _he_ committed. He broke my heart. The first person I loved. Turned out to be a game, a joke. I saw him again today. He told me why he'd done it. August had supposedly told him to because I had to break the curse. I went to jail because Pinocchio, of all people, told him to make that call. If he'd truly loved me, he wouldn't have done so. How twisted is that?"

"And that's not even the worst part. I realized I was pregnant when I got to jail." Emma whispered.

"Henry." Hook realized.

"At first, I thought about keeping him. At least I wouldn't be alone, right? But then I realized, who was I kidding? I couldn't be a mother. Couldn't give him the life he deserved. What kind of life could I give him? I was in jail and penniless. No one to turn to for help. I had to give him, my son, up for adoption. And that's when I realized I would always be alone." A single tear made its way down her face.

"I spent my entire life wondering why my parents gave me up. Was there something wrong with me? Was I that awful, that unlovable, that even my own parents didn't want me? When I met Neal, I thought that maybe, just maybe, everything would be alright. That maybe it there was something wrong with my parents instead of me. That maybe it was their fault. And then I was proven wrong."

She was crying openly now. "I realized that there  _must_ be something wrong with me. My parents may be fairytale characters, with their happy endings, but I will never have that. I will never have anyone."

"You're wrong." Hook argued. "You found your parents."

"My parents sacrificed me, their newborn  _baby_ , to save their kingdom. Because that's what they do. But what about me? Did they ever stop to think about what that would do to a baby? Sending her to an unknown world, where she'd be abused every single day for years. Was their kingdom more important than their daughter? They say they care about me, that they did that to protect me from the curse, but was that really true?"

Her words struck a chord inside him, for he'd been abandoned by his father as well. "But you reunited with your son." Hook pointed out.

She looked at him sadly. "After today, I'm pretty sure he hates me."

"That's not true." He tried to argue.

"You weren't there. You didn't see the look in his eyes as he realized that I'd lied to him about his father." Tears started spilling down her cheeks. "I was just trying to protect him."

Without another word, Hook reached out and wrapped his arms around her, feeling her tremble violently as she was overcome with sobs.

"I'm nothing." She said, her voice thick with tears. "I will always have nothing and be nothing. I don't even know why I try anymore."

"You're wrong. You've just had a bit of bad luck."

"Bad luck?" She gasped. "Bad luck's when you stub your toe. Not when your parents send you away to save everyone from a-a curse. Or when the first person you ever loved breaks your heart because a fairy tale character told him to. I loved him  _so_ much." She cried.

"And that's why you say that I'm 'afraid of love'" Emma finished. "Because my entire life, love either hasn't existed or it's brought nothing but hurt. Seeing him today, it was like being sent to jail all over again."

"He was unworthy of you." He replied.

"Or maybe I'm just unworthy of love." She said tonelessly. "You know it's true."

"But it's not." He argued. "You're so much more than that, darling. Don't let a few bastards get you down."

"Everyone I love keeps leaving. My parents, Neal, and now Henry." Tears began to stream from her eyes again. "He doesn't understand that I was just trying to protect him. Protect him from the ugly truth. I never thought I'd see him again, so what's the harm, right? But of course everything has to come back biting me in the ass."

"He will." Hook insisted. "As soon as he's calmed down. I've seen the way the lad looks at you. He loves you. He'll come around."

"He's been lied to his entire life. And now I'm no better than Regina. In fact, he said I'm just like her."

"Listen to me, love." He placed his hands on either side of her face and brought her eyes up to meet his. "You are nothing like the queen. You are so much better. You're brave, beautiful, and strong. I know you better than anyone. Like I said, open book."

"You're wrong-"

"I'm never wrong." He interrupted. "It's part of my charm."

"Ha. I'm sure it is." But despite herself, a small smile crept across her face.

"Got you to smile though, didn't I?" Hook winked.

"Fate sure has a twisted sense of humor." She laughed ruefully. "Out of all the people in the world, he had to be Gold's son."

Alarm bells rang in Hook's head as he processed what she'd just said. "Gold's son?" He gasped. "As in…Rumplestilskin?"  _The bastard who'd broken her heart was the son of the monster who'd killed his Milah?_

Emma nodded. "Yeah. That's why we came. To look for him. And here I'd thought I'd never have to see Neal again. Crazy, huh?"

It took all of Hook's self control not to storm out and search for the bloody Crocodile's cowardly, spineless son. But Emma needed him right now. "Once a coward, always a coward."

"What?"

"Nothing." He said, realizing that he'd just said that aloud. Adrenaline coursed through his veins and his heart pounded rapidly as he tried to wrap his mind around the fact that the boy he'd rescued from the sea, the boy that he'd once considered caring for, was the boy who'd reduced his beautiful Swan into a horrible, crying mess. "I understand more than you think. You're not the only who's been left alone."

"Really?" She said, intrigued. "Milah, wasn't it?"

"Aye." A jolt of pain darted through him as he imagined his ex-lover's face. But unlike before, the pain felt a little less intense, a little more manageable. "We sailed the seas together for many years. But then she was taken from me."

"What happened?"

His expression grew dark. "The Crocodile. You see, Milah had actually been his wife and I'd stolen her away."

Emma nodded as she processed this. To her credit, she didn't seem horrified or disgusted.

"He tore her heart out. And I was powerless to do anything to stop it." He finished.

"Who was the crocodile?"

For some reason, he didn't want to reveal the truth. "Doesn't matter. There have been many other women ever since, but none have matched up to her. I've traveled the world for centuries, trying to figure out a way to get my revenge."

"I'm sorry." She said.

"Well, don't be." Hook replied. "I've moved on." He said, surprised that he actually meant it.

Emma blushed as he raised his eyebrows expectantly, realizing that he had been referring to her. "Thank you." She cleared her throat. "For, um, listening to all of this."

"Of course." He reached out and pushed a stray lock of hair out of her face. "I will always be here for you, darling."

"Why?" She protested. "I'm a mess. Broken beyond repair."

"Because I love you. And I believe in you. Someday, you'll come to see that everything I know about you is true."

"Except why? You  _can't_  love me." She said stubbornly.

"Why not?" He pointed out. "You may not feel the same way. But that doesn't change how I feel about you. I love you, Emma Swan."

 


	16. Backed into a Corner

Chapter 16: Backed into a Corner

 _What am I going to do?_ Hook thought as he idly toyed with Emma's tangled hair.  _What am I going to do?_

He'd really, truly fallen for her. Watching her sleep in his arms, her face serene, a stark contrast from earlier, she was the most beautiful person, in his opinion.

After she'd poured her heart out, they'd sat in a comfortable silence in a room that she called a hotel room, until she'd fallen asleep, allowing his thoughts to roam.

There was no way he could kill her. Not after all this. The mere thought sent jolts of fear and panic coursing through him. But he couldn't tell Emma the truth. She would just immediately accuse him of using her and she'd been more broken than ever. No, she needed him. Now, more than ever.

God, it was so unfair. The one person he had to stay emotionally away from, he fell in love with. Fate had a twisted sense of humor. He supposed that this was how she felt every day of her life. Like the world was plotting against you.

As Emma slept, blissfully unaware, Hook vowed that he would do whatever it took to protect her.

Even if that meant standing up to Cora.

* * *

Emma had gone back to hotel in which Henry and the Crocodile were staying shortly after she'd woken up, but not before buying him a small device she called a cell phone. It had taken him the better part of an hour to figure out how to use it, much to Emma's amusement. He didn't mind, for it brought a much needed smile to her face.

They'd decided that he should go back to Storybrooke; Emma figured that they'd be heading back soon anyway, since Henry had school. Hook had been hesitant to leave her behind (especially with the Crocodile, though he didn't say so), but she'd promised to call periodically. So now he was on his way back, sailing on the Jolly Roger, already looking forward to seeing her.

Out on the open water, Hook stood at the helm and let the morning breeze ruffle his hair as the ship sliced through the water. Mentally, he tried to rehearse what he would say to Cora. There would be no doubt about the fact that she would be less than happy. And that was putting it lightly.

As if on cue, he heard the familiar soft footsteps behind him. "Hello Captain." She purred.

Immediately, the hairs on the back of his neck stood up and he curled his fists instinctively. "Cora."

"It's been a while." She started.

He mentally sighed. "Has it? Haven't noticed."

"Have you found out anything for me?" Cora approached him casually, though of course that made her seem all the more threatening.

"Can't say that I have." He answered, trying to keep his face placid.

"You've gotten sloppy, Captain." She commented lightly. "It would be a shame if you ruined this for yourself."

"What's the point?" He found himself blurting. "If you're gonna kill her anyway. Might as well kidnap her and get it over with."

"Why, that would never work." Cora shot back. "Her annoyingly caring family would come looking for her and that would ruin everything I have set up.

"And what exactly would that be?"

"You'll see." She answered.

"The thing is, I don't know if I can." Hook responded. "I've spent so many centuries waiting to kill Rumplestilskin, and now that I finally can, you're asking me to wait?"

"I've told you. When the time comes, I'll be more than happy to assist you with that. You need my help, and in return all I ask is a small favor."

"Which is something that you can do yourself." He pointed out.

Cora narrowed her eyes at him, seemingly seeing through his casual façade. "Why are you being like this? You and I, we've been in this together for so long. Don't you trust that I will help you see to it that your enemy dies?"

Hook shrugged. "Maybe I'm just sick of waiting."

"No." She shook her head, slowly approaching him. "I don't think that's quite it."

Much to Hook's relief, she changed the subject. "I recently found out something very interesting."

"Did you now?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact I did. That boy. Henry? He's Regina's son. And interestingly enough, Emma's as well."

"Really? I didn't know that."

"Oh, but I think you did." Her expression was eerily calm, but Hook could see the barely contained fury smoldering in her eyes. In one fluid motion, her hand reached out and sank through his chest, grabbing his heart. "What aren't you telling me?"

"N-nothing." He choked.

Suddenly, her eyes widened and she looked down at her hand. "You love her." She realized.

"No." He protested, but there was no use.

"Yes." She snarled. "Don't lie to me. I can feel it. Your heart. It feels different than before. I'm the Queen of Hearts. I know everything there is to know about hearts. And yours, my dear Captain, is telling me that you're in love."

He was fucked. Completely and utterly fucked.

"Well, this certainly makes things interesting." She clucked her tongue. "No wonder you've become so unwilling to do anything. I've gotta say, Hook. I'm disappointed in you. You've become soft."

"Why?" He found himself asking. "Why do you have to do this? She's done nothing to you."

Cora shrugged. "Maybe not, but she's Regina's enemy, which makes her mine as well."

"Kill me then." Hook spat suddenly. "Kill me instead of her."

"No." Cora looked visibly affronted. "And lose my partner? Of course not. That would be a waste of life, and I am not that horribly barbaric."

"Really?" He challenged hoarsely. "Because I could beg to differ."

She rolled her eyes. "Think of me what you want. But you  _will_ continue to do what I say. You will tell me everything you find out about her and when I say so, you will kill her."

"No." With the last bits of strength and dignity he possessed, he attempted to make his voice as strong as possible. "I refuse. You'll have to take my heart to get me to do so."

Her expression grew bone chillingly menacing. "Then I'll make your dear Swan's death much more painful than it has to be." She simpered.

He was trapped. Backed into a corner.

"Exactly." She smiled as if she'd read his thoughts. She let go, releasing his heart, and Hook fell back against the railing. Relief flooded through him as the pain was alleviated, but that was nothing compared to the dread slowly filling him.

Just then, the loud pounding in his ears made him realize something. "Why didn't you take my heart?" He pressed his hand against his chest, feeling the steady heartbeat through his trembling fingers.

Cora clucked her tongue. "Because then you'd be unable to love. You would stop feeling anything for Emma, and that simply will not do. You see, Captain, I want you to love her. I want you to feel the bone crushing pain when you kill her. That will make it all the more painful. Let this be a reminder that you mustn't forget who you're dealing with. You should be grateful I'm sparing your life." She stood over him, casting a dark shadow. "And as punishment for failing to tell me about Henry, you will bring him to me."

_No._

"Defy or fail me again, and I will see to it that Emma dies in the most painful, slowest way conceivable." And then she was gone.


	17. Counterproductive

Chapter 17: Counterproductive

Hook paced around the apartment; he'd been doing so for the last four hours. At this rate, he was going to wear a hole through the shiny wood floors. But that hole would be nothing to the hollow feeling inside.

He had to kill her. And not just that. He had to kidnap Henry. An innocent child. Knowing Cora, whatever she had planned for the lad was not going to be pretty. In fact, he had a pretty good idea of what it was and the very idea made him shudder horribly.

What was he going to do? Half of him wanted to go directly to Emma's parents and tell them everything, but he knew that would only earn him a punch in the face. Not that it wasn't well deserved, of course.

Who could he get to help him? From what Cora had told him, Emma possessed magic that was maybe even stronger than Cora's, but knowing his Swan, she had no idea how to use it.

Regina? That was certainly a possibility, especially when it came to the safety of her son, but who knew what kind of lies Cora had been telling her daughter about him? He wasn't entirely certain that she would even believe him. And besides, Cora would likely be there.

So that left Rumplestilskin. His sworn enemy. The only other person strong enough to stand up to Cora. Wouldn't that be counterproductive though? Going to his enemy for help, when it was his life goal to kill the Crocodile? But for the first time, his need for revenge was overshadowed by something else. Love.

Except why would Rumplestilskin want to help him, especially if there was nothing in it for him? He'd probably rub his hands together with glee at the thought of the pirate's death. But there was the fact that Henry was his grandson. If something were to happen to him, Hook was fairly certain that Baelfire would never forgive him.

Now that was a possibility. But very risky. It wasn't as if Rumplestilskin would welcome him with open arms.

Hook groaned aloud. For the first time, he regretted the fact that he'd made so many enemies. And alliances with the worst people.

Just then, he was startled out of his thoughts by the sound of the door flying open. For a moment, he feared it was Cora, with another malevolent request, but to his surprise it was Emma, looking weirdly shell shocked. Right. He'd forgotten that she had a key.

Hook crossed the room towards her, any thoughts of Cora rushing out the window. "Is everything ok? I thought you'd be with Henry today."

Emma had a faraway expression on her face, seemingly confused that she was in his apartment. "What am I doing here?"

He snickered quietly. "Looks like your subconscious wanted to see me so much it brought you here." But upon noticing the blank look on her face, he immediately grew concerned.

"Funny." She murmured, looking around distractedly.

"Is something wrong?"

"Hmm? What? No." She said curtly.

Hook could tell that she was obviously lying. "You're a terrible liar."

"Well, nothing's wrong." Emma snapped. "I must've been so distracted I ended up here."

"Whatever it is, you can tell me." He said softly. "You can trust me. I think I've proven myself worthy." But seeing that she wasn't budging, he sighed, heading towards the kitchen. Perhaps some coffee (or maybe rum) would get her to spill.

"He has a fiancée." Emma blurted.

Hook froze, almost shattering the mug he was holding. Immediately, his fists curled and he could feel a low growl rise up in his throat. It seemed as though his hatred for the Crocodile had transferred to his son. "What?"

"He has a fiancée." She repeated tonelessly.

"I'm sorry." He said.

"Well, don't be." Emma stiffened. "It's not like I care."

"Then why do you look so upset?"

"I'm not."

"Really, now." He raised an eyebrow lazily. "Because I'd beg to differ."

"I don't care." She repeated, sounding very much like a petulant six year old. "It's not like I'm not over him. I am. I'm totally over it."

"Sounds to me like you're not." He walked over and placed his hands on her shoulders. "It's perfectly normal to be upset, love."

"Except that I'm not." Emma argued. "I mean, the asshole that sent me to jail has a tall, gorgeous fiancée with ridiculously straight hair and teeth so white it hits you in the face. But I don't care. How unfair is that? He  _ruins_  my life and gets away unscathed."

Hook blinked, for she was ranting so fast that it was practically incoherent. "Listen to me, Emma. Whoever this lass is, you're ten times more wonderful than she is."

"Sure."

"Yes, you are." He responded. "Not many women have bested me, let alone multiple times. But you have. And that makes you special." He stared deep into her eyes, and for a moment he could see her melting. See something stirring inside.

If he wasn't mistaken (and he usually never was), she was falling for him.

She pulled away. "I've gotta go."

* * *

Emma paced around her thankfully empty apartment, unable to sit still and finish the mountain of paperwork waiting on the kitchen table. She drummed her fingers on the table's hard surface, and then shot up. Maybe some coffee would help.

Why couldn't she just get over and it and move on? Or at the very least, block it out? 11 years ago, she'd done just that. Stuck all of the painful Neal memories into the back of her mind and let herself go numb. Eventually, she'd mostly forgotten about it, though there was the occasional déjà vu moment. Emma was so good at hiding her emotions that sometimes she forgot she even _had_ emotions.

But now? Now, all she could picture was their entwined hands, the perfect way they fit together. Damn her and her ability to picture things so clearly. It had taken everything she had to maintain her poker face when she'd seen  _her_ for the first time. All her strength to keep her voice steady.

God, it was so unfair. Though now Emma knew why Neal had done what he did, it was still so unfair. She was the one who'd taken the blame for his crime, suffered in jail, given up her kid, and he got away scot free, moving on with that stupid woman.

It would be  _so,_ so easy to just let go and let herself fall in love with Hook. In fact, she was almost there. It would be the perfect distraction from everything. He'd proven himself worthy, hadn't he? It'd been a little over a month since he'd first arrived and there hadn't been any sign of trouble. If he really was here for some nefarious purpose, wouldn't that have shown already?

Plus, there was the fact that he'd listened patiently to her rant about her problems. And even more surprising, he'd been perfectly sympathetic. There weren't very many people in the world who could do so. Or many people that she was willing to show her weak side to. Shouldn't the fact that she'd subconsciously let him in tell her that Hook was the perfect way to move on?

Her heart. That was what was stopping her. That, and her overarching fear of abandonment and rejection. That was stopping her from talking to her parents very much (and God knew how hard they'd been trying), and now it was stopping her from being with Hook.

Of course, she could always revert back to her old ways of dealing with emotions: lots of alcohol and meaningless sex. It would be so easy to do so. But for the first time, that didn't sound appealing at all. Had the short time in Storybrooke really changed her that much?

Before Emma could contemplate this further, her phone vibrated loudly on the kitchen table. She reached over and scooped it up, and nearly spat out her mouthful of coffee as her eyes scanned the text.

_Swan, bee reddie at 11 tomarrow. Wil bee a serprize._

Though there were many errors, she got the gist of the message. Since when did Hook know how to text? But then again, he  _was_ pretty resourceful.

 _A surprise, huh?_ She thought wryly. Maybe that was just the thing she needed to get Neal out of her mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note: Yes, so Neal has a fiancée. But it's NOT Tamara. I hated her so much I cheered when she died, so the fiancée is going to be a made up character named Olivia.


	18. Definition of a Surprise

Chapter 18: Definition of a Surprise

"Where are we going?" Emma asked. She reached up to tug at the blindfold, but a hand slapped hers away.

"The definition of a surprise, my love," Hook whispered in her ear, his breath tickling her face. "Is that you find out later."

"Well I hate surprises."

"I guarantee you'll like this." He drawled slowly.

"Doubtful." Emma shot back. Her foot hit something solid, and she cursed loudly.

"Careful." His hook encircled her waist and led her sideways.

"Is this going to be dangerous?" She asked warily.

Hook chuckled in her ear. "Always with the questions, aren't you? Don't worry. We'll be perfectly safe."

"Coming from a pirate, that doesn't mean much."

"I take offense at that, milady."

She sniffed the air. "I smell grass. Are we at the park?"

"Maybe." He answered. "You'll have to see." He said gleefully.

"You'll have to tell me if I punch you in the face."

"I'd love to see you try, seeing as you're blindfolded and all. More likely that I knock you out long before you do the same to me."

"Wanna bet? I beat you before." Emma countered.

"Only because I let you." Taking her arm, he led her up a flight of stairs and down a dirt path.

"You did not!" She argued.

"Oh, I did. Otherwise you wouldn't have made it back quite so easily."

"Why would you do that?" Emma asked, curious.

"Maybe I wanted you to get back to your son."

"How nice of you." She said sarcastically, but Hook could tell she was touched.

"I told you. I'm always nice."

"Well, now I want a rematch."

He laughed. "Oh, my fiery lass. You'll just lose again."

"I wouldn't be so sure." She rolled her eyes, but of course he couldn't see it.

"On the contrary, I am rather sure. You see, I've been fighting battles for centuries. But you haven't."

"Whatever." She snapped.

"You see? I'm right." He grinned.

"Uh huh." She said dryly. They walked for a bit more, Hook leading her over various obstacles. He could tell that she was growing restless.

"Are we there yet?"

"Nearly."

"Leave it to you to pick the place that's farthest away." She observed. "Where the hell are we, anyway?"

"Not telling."

She groaned and continued walking. Suddenly, without warning, they came to a stop.

"We're here." Hook announced.

"It's about time." Emma grumbled, pulling off the blindfold. And then gasped loudly as she took in the scene before her.

Hook had set out a picnic in what appeared to be a secluded part of the forest. A huge red and white blanket sat on the forest floor, a brown wicker picnic basket just on top. Picnics were her favorite. Few knew that.

"Oh my God. Hook…" She stammered, clearly at an uncharacteristic loss of words. "How did you…"

"Know?" He shrugged. "Everybody loves a picnic, lass."

She was touched. Beyond shocked. Nobody had ever done something so nice for her before. "Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why did you do this?"

"Because." Hook responded simply. "You needed cheering up."

A warm feeling began to spread inside. Everything looked amazing; he'd even set out a bunch of flowers. There had been so much thought put into this. He looked so earnest, and in that moment,  _so_ sweet, that she stood up on her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek.

"Thanks." She whispered.

"That's your idea of a thank you?" He quipped. "Could do a little better."

Emma rolled her eyes. "That's all you're getting, buddy." Pushing away the mental images of him shoplifting a grocery store, she followed him towards the spread and sat down.

"How are things with your lad?" Hook asked, handing her a Tupperware container of fruit.

Her face darkened. "He's still mad, if that's what you're asking."

"Swan." He placed his hand on her shoulder. "He'll get over it. I promise."

"Yeah, well I doubt it." Emma replied. "Kid's been spending every moment with his dad. And  _her._ "

"You do know that she's nowhere as wonderful as you are?"

"Mmm sure. She's obviously got something going for her, since he's with her." She said bitterly.

"You know, I've spent many a night with different types of women back in the Enchanted Forest. But believe me when I say that even I would run from a woman like her. She's not my type."

"Oh yeah? And what is?" She raised an eyebrow.

"You." He looked steadily into her eyes, his way of conveying that he was dead serious.

Emma blushed and dropped her gaze down to the picnic basket. "Let's see what else you got in here." Rooting through it, she pulled out a misshapen lump. "What the…"

"Ah, this." Hook took it out of her hands. "I do believe that you people call this grilled cheese?"

"Really?" She stared. "Are you sure?"

Judging by its odd appearance, he had obviously tried to make it himself. Which was very, very sweet. Nobody had ever cooked for her before. (Mary Margaret didn't count). She was about to ask how he knew she liked it, but thought better of it. He would just spew out some line about how insightful he was or something.

Still, she had to bite back laughter as she unwrapped the sandwich. "Not bad."

"Told you. I'm skilled in more ways than one."

They chewed in a comfortable silence for a while.

"Has Rumplestilskin found out about Henry?" Hook asked suddenly.

"Not sure." She answered. "Why?"

"Oh, no reason." But his voice was higher than normal.

Emma frowned. What a strange question. But she let it go after seeing the canteen that she'd originally thought had been filled with rum, but was actually filled to the brim with hot chocolate with cinnamon. He was probably just curious.

Right?

* * *

Soon enough, Emma found herself stretched out on the blanket, her head in Hook's lap as he absentmindly toyed with her hair. It was surprisingly comfortable. Even more shocking, she was ok with it and had no intention of moving anytime soon.

She was relaxed for the first time in years. It was a feeling that she'd come to associate with him. With Hook. Warm, relaxed, and above all, safe. Like she could do anything.

For the first time, she truly realized that he'd meant what he'd said. He really, truly loved her. No one would go to all this trouble unless they really meant it. Really felt it deep inside. No one had ever stuck by her side like that before. Put up with her admittedly long list of vices and annoying habits. No one had ever looked at her the way he did. Yes, Hook most certainly loved her.

But the question was…did she? Or rather, was she ready?

"I love you." Emma suddenly blurted. Her eyes widened as she just realized what she'd said.

Looks like her subconscious thought she was.

There was a silence. A long, awful, drawn out silence. Her heart started to pound loudly and her cheeks grew hot as he continued to stay mum. She wanted to get up and run, but she felt frozen, glued to his lap. Suddenly, the soft material of his jeans felt like sandpaper against her cheek.

What happened? Why wasn't he saying anything? Did he not feel the same way anymore? Dammit. Of course he didn't. After how she'd treated him. No one loved her without some string attached. Some condition.

Why oh why did this always have to happen? Was she destined to be alone and miserable forever?

"Well, don't respond or anything." She said sarcastically.

"I-sorry." He stammered, sounding uncharacteristically flustered. "I was just shocked. Did you really mean what you said?"

"Yes." In a fluid movement, she stood up. And gazed straight into his eyes. "I love you, Killian Jones." Her voice shook slightly as she fought against the age old instinct to run. Flee. Get as far from him as possible.

"It's about bloody time." He murmured. With a tenderness she didn't even know was possible from him, his lips were on suddenly hers. It was slow and gentle and made a shiver of delight run through her body, making her feel things she hadn't felt in years. Breaking down her walls.

_Damn, he was good._

Slowly, she felt herself begin to respond. A warm hand was pressed to the nape of her neck, bringing him even closer. His tongue ran itself along her bottom lip, and she just stopped thinking.

 


	19. Utterly Terrible

Chapter 19: Utterly Terrible

Just as she was beginning to feel dizzy, he pulled away, resting his forehead against hers as they both took in what just happened.

"Told you I was skilled." He breathed. "But you're not so bad yourself."

Emma laughed lightly. "I'll take that as a compliment."

Having finished, they packed everything up and set off, her hand encased in his larger one, the picnic basket swinging from his hook. She'd offered to carry it, but he'd insisted. Normally not one to allow someone to do things for her, she'd surprisingly let him, for it had been so long since someone had been so, well…nice.

Emma began blabbering on about something called a movie, and how he was in it, but he was far too distracted to listen. His mind wandered back to several minutes ago. Right as she told him that she loved him, he'd frozen up. Not because he was surprised or anything (in fact, he'd known for a long time that that was coming, for one could only resist his charms for so long).

But because right as the words left her mouth, Cora had appeared, not twenty feet from where they sat. She had only been visible to him, no doubt due to her magic. Her snake like eyes had bore into his, and she'd hissed  _bring him to me_  over and over until that was all Hook could see or hear. The voice of the evil witch who was ruining everything.

"…waxed mustache and perm." Emma was saying. "Completely ridiculous."

"Mmm…" He responded absently, having no idea of what she was saying.

She turned towards him, frowning. "Are you even listening?"

"Of course I am." Hook said automatically.

"Then why aren't you offended?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Why would I be offended?"

"Because I just spent fifteen minutes talking about how you're portrayed in the media and it's the exact opposite of the truth!" She stomped her foot. "You weren't listening, or else you would've started to complain long ago."

"I…sorry." Hook apologized. "Just a little distracted today."

"Why?"

"Because I'm here with the most beautiful woman." He fudged, raising a suggestive eyebrow, hoping she'd take the hint and change the subject.

Much to his relief, she did. "You're quite the charmer."

Hook shrugged. "That I am." He slung an arm around her shoulder. "Now what do you say we get out of here so you can show me whatever you were talking about."

* * *

They were snuggled on the couch at her apartment, staring at what appeared to be a series of moving pictures on a flat box. A movie, she'd called it. A movie about  _him_ , actually.

"A movie about me?" He had wrinkled his nose at the DVD cover. "Peter Pan?" He couldn't suppress the involuntary shudder.

"Yep." Emma had replied, popping in the disc. "Luckily Henry has a copy." She flopped down on the couch next to him. "I can't wait to see your reaction."

"I bet it doesn't do me justice."

She snorted. "Oh, trust me. It doesn't. God, I can't wait to see your face." Emma smirked. "You're not gonna like this."

"Emma, I've dealt with the most horrible creatures in all the realms. I do believe I can handle this, how do you say, movie."

"Whatever you say."

No sooner than half an hour later, the first complaint was heard. A rather loud yet amusing one too, in Emma's opinion.

"BLOODY HELL!" Hook shouted at the TV. "Is that…is that really me?"

"Yep!" Emma's body shook with barely suppressed laughter as she stared at the look of ire on his face. "That's you!"

"You have got to be kidding!" Horror crossed his face as he watched his Disney counterpart strut about on the small screen. "That's not me."

"According to the media it is."

"Look at that monstrosity on his head! That hair!"

"Also known as a perm." She laughed hysterically.

"I-I look nothing like that!" Hook protested.

"I know that, and you know that, but that's not what everyone else thinks."

"Turn this off." He ordered. "I cannot stand to see this any longer."

"No way! This is too much fun." Emma held the remote up high over her head, although there really wasn't any point, since Hook didn't even know how to use it.

"Oh, so I see you're enjoying my horror. Well that's good to know." He quipped sarcastically, turning back to the movie.

But Emma could tell he wasn't really mad, due to the amused glint in his eye. She knew that he was glad that she was happy.

"CODFISH?!" Hook screeched loudly. "I take offense at that! I'll have you know, lass, I've been called many things, but never a codfish. What the bloody hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Not sure."

"Who made this monstrosity? I will rip him limb from limb."

She snorted. "Good luck with that. I'm pretty sure he's dead by now."

"Well, for his sake I hope it was a painful death."

They watched the rest of the movie in relative silence, Hook gaping and yelling at the TV whenever his Disney counterpart did or said something utterly ridiculous ("Afraid of the crocodile? Me? Never!").

"So I take it that you were surprised when we first met." He said once the movie was over.

"Pretty surprised, yeah." Emma laughed at the memory of herself gaping at the charismatic pirate, completely taken aback by the fact that he was  _the_ Captain Hook. It had taken her quite a while to wrap her mind around it.

"That was just awful! Utterly terrible." He complained.

"Oh, come on. Don't be such a baby. You've gotta admit that was pretty funny."

"Nope." He fake pouted, much like a baby. "That was a complete waste of time."

She rolled her eyes. "So whiny."

"You're gonna have to make it up to me somehow." He said, raising his eyebrows suggestively.

"Oh yeah? How?"

"I have a few ideas." He said, pulling her in close so that she was sitting on his lap, crushing his lips against hers. Unlike before, it was desperate and urgent. Like he was trying to make up for lost time or something. They slowly made their way across the room, falling back against the bed.

The last that Emma thought before her senses took over her mind was that boy, was she grateful that she'd ordered a double bed for his apartment.


	20. I'm Here Now

Chapter 20: I'm Here Now

Emma woke up to find a set of arms around her, hugging her close. She could feel the tickle of someone's breath against her cheek, and it took her a second to remember where she was and why she wasn't in her own bed at home.

 _Hook's place. Right._ She blushed at the memory of everything they'd done the night before. She was surprised at the feeling of contentment and peace inside. For the first time, sex hadn't been a meaningless thing merely used to numb her emotions. And for the first time, she'd actually woken up happy.

Idly, she realized that she probably should've called to say that she wouldn't be home, since her parents were surely worried. Her phone was probably filled with messages and missed calls. Emma chuckled lightly to herself; here she was at 28 years old and her parents still worried when she didn't come home. But then again, there was nothing normal about her situation.

Well, too bad. This was her life and she didn't have to answer to her parents if she chose not to. In fact, she barely thought of them as parents. They were more like two overly caring roommates. As for Henry…a flare of anger rose inside as she realized that he had probably been too busy with Neal to even notice that his mother had been gone all night. After all, he  _was_ spending every waking moment with his father and that woman.

 _And there goes my happy morning._ She thought bitterly.

Just then, as if he'd sensed her stiffen, Hook began to stir. "Morning love." He said lazily. Upon noticing her frown, his expression changed. "What's wrong?"

"Hmm? Nothing." She responded automatically, arranging her face into a happy expression.

He looked like he was about to say something, but thankfully let it drop. "Well, that was quite a night. I told you I was skilled."

"Oh yeah. You sure are." She rolled her eyes at his self centeredness. "Got a real ego there too."

"I seem to recall that you were quite satisfied with me, ego and all." He propped himself up on one elbow and turned to smirk at her. "You know, if this is the reward for watching that dastardly thing you call a movie, I'd gladly watch it any day."

Emma immediately blushed and turned away.

"So what do you want to do today?" Hook began tracing circles across her bare back, causing goosebumps to flare. "I'm perfectly content to just stay like this all day." He whispered.

"Well that's too bad. Some of us have responsibilities." She said, although all she wanted to do was to stay there. Facing everyone and putting on a happy face was the last thing she felt like doing. Although she knew Mary Margaret could sense her discomfort around Neal, there was no way in hell she was admitting to anyone that Neal's presence was bothering her.

"Blow them off. I'm willing to bet that I'm a whole lot more fun. Wanna see if I'm right?"

"I can't, Captain Innuendo."

"Captain Innuendo, huh?" He placed his hand over his chest in a mock offended way. "I take offense at that."

"I thought you might." She said wryly, pulling the blanket off and heading towards the shower.

* * *

Several hours later, Emma was starting to wish that she'd stayed with Hook, for she, her parents, Neal, Olivia, and Henry were currently at the park. Spending what had to be the most awkward day in the history of days together.

When she'd gotten home, she'd found a strange car parked in her spot much to her surprise. A car that turned out to be Olivia's; they were sitting at the kitchen table, exchanging awkward words. The next thing she knew, she, Mary Margaret, and David were being invited along to their day at the park. Seeing as it was a Saturday, she had no excuse.

Why Neal had insisted they come, she had no idea. Henry could get to know his father just fine without her. All she knew was that she'd rather be back in jail than spend another moment here in this hellhole. Sitting on this hard ass bench, sandwiched between Mary Margaret and Olivia, watching the guys play football, her jaw beginning to hurt from fake smiling nonstop for the past few hours.

"So. Storybrooke's a nice town." Olivia commented in an attempt to make conversation.

"Yeah." Emma grunted. She could feel the pity coming off of Mary Margaret in waves, and her mother shot her a look of commiseration. Unfortunately, pity was the last thing Emma wanted; in fact it was one of the things she hated most.

There was nothing she wanted more than to leave. Or maybe just die. Sink into a hole and never come out. She wished she was a guy, so at least go and play ball with them, since that did not require painful small talk. She was rather good with a football too.

 _Told ya you should've just stayed with me._  She could practically hear Hook say in her mind. Oh, how she wished he was here. He'd know exactly what to say to make her feel better. After all, they were inherently the same. Thought the same way, acted the same way, and understood each other in ways words could not describe.

Seeing as Emma wasn't going to continue, Mary Margaret butted in. "What's New York like?"

Whew. That got the bitch talking. Emma could not be more grateful, but of course she wasn't going to let anyone know that.

Still, Olivia could only talk for so long, and pretty soon they were back to an awkward silence.

"This is really awkward for you, isn't it?" Olivia said suddenly.

Emma blinked. Well that was unexpected. "Ah, well. Not really, no." She lied.

"But I just want us to be friends." Olivia smiled widely. "I can tell that we're gonna be seeing a lot of each other!"

Oh, how nauseatingly disgusting. Emma could practically feel the niceness bubbling off of this woman. Just the type of person she hated most: the perky, bubbly, overly friendly, let's be best friends type. Yuck. The last thing she wanted was to be  _friends_ with this bitch. It would be like rubbing salt in her wounds.

Emma must've looked like she was about to say just that, because the next thing she knew, Mary Margaret was tugging on her arm. "Come on. I forgot something in the car."

She was about to open her mouth to tell her mother that she could go get it herself, but she recognized an opportunity when it presented itself, and she stood up gratefully.

"We'll be right back." She shot Olivia a tight smile.

"I'll be here!" The woman responded.

"Jesus." Emma muttered as soon as she was sure they were out of earshot. "Does she  _ever_ stop smiling?"

"She  _is_ a bit perky." Mary Margaret admitted. "And that's coming from Snow White." She chuckled.

"You didn't really need something from the car, did you?"

"That obvious, huh? I thought you could use a break." Her mother leaned against the yellow Bug. "How are you holding up?" She asked, concern written all over her face.

"Me? I'm fine."

"You sure? You don't look fine. You can tell me, you know. I get that this has got to be awkward for you."

Oh, she had no idea. It wasn't just awkward, but incredibly painful. Emma could literally feel tears brimming in her eyes that she had been holding back all day. Watching Neal and Olivia be all sweet and cuddly with each other was her worst nightmare. It wasn't even that she was jealous, but it  _hurt._

Even so, there was no way she was admitting this to anyone, because that would be admitting weakness. And she had been conditioned long ago not to admit any signs of weaknesses to anybody.

"It's not." Emma forced a smile, knowing full well that her mother didn't believe her. "Look, I'm fine, alright? Let's just go back before she wonders what we're doing." With that, Emma swept past her mother and back towards her own personal hell.

* * *

Hook was seated on the couch, fiddling with the rectangular object Emma called a cell phone, when there was a harsh knock on the door. At first, his heart started to pound with dread, thinking that it was Cora. But then his rational side kicked in, reminding himself that Cora didn't need to knock on the door. She could just poof herself in. Which meant, thankfully, that it was only Emma.

"Lose your key, Swan?" He teased, pulling the thick wooden door open. But instead of being greeted by a creative comeback as expected, she stepped up right towards him and urgently pressed her lips against his.

Moments later, Hook stepped back, stunned, his hand on his lips. "Not to say I'm complaining, love, but what was that for?"

Emma didn't answer, instead making a move towards him again. Knowing that she was only doing so as a distraction so she wouldn't have to talk (mostly because he was the same way), he sidestepped her.

"Bad day, I see." He commented.

Emma only groaned in response as she walked over and flopped down on the couch. "You have no idea."

"Care to enlighten me?" He asked, sitting down next to her.

"No." She snapped. "I just wanna get super drunk and forget all about it. Where's the rum?" She stood up and looked around, as if the rum was just going to appear.

"Not so fast." He responded. "First of all, that's not gonna make you feel better, and you know it. And I finished the last of it." He muttered.

"Ugh." She sat back down and crossed her arms in frustration.

"Come on, lass. Tell your amazingly dashing pirate all about it."

"Amazingly dashing huh?" She glared at him. "So self centered."

"Come on." He prodded.

"She's so damn perky!" Emma blurted loudly. "All freaking day!" Her voice took on a higher pitch. " _Oh, I just want to be friends! Let's have a girl's night out! It'll be fun!"_

"Huh?" Hook was confused, but Emma didn't stop to explain.

"All I wanted to do was stick a fork in my eye because that would be better than listening to her yak."

"I take it you're talking about Neal's fiancée?" He surmised.

"Who else?" Emma grumbled. "Stupid bitch. Inviting us to the park like she was a damn saint or something. Like I didn't have plans of my own."

"Did you?"

"Not the point here." She growled. "And I had to say yes or else I would've looked like a bitch.  _Oh, come with us! It'll be fun! A family day! We can all get to know each other!_ Gag me."

Hook chuckled quietly to himself; an angry Emma was quite entertaining. "She wouldn't stop smiling. It was just weird. I had to just sit here and nod at everything she said and not act like I wanted to crawl in a hole and die. It was  _so_ awkward."

"I'm sorry. But like I said before, you could've just stayed with me. I would've guaranteed that would be fun." He raised an eyebrow.

"I knew that was coming." She shot him a half smile. "But yeah, you're right. Anything but a 'fun family day at the park'. And that's not even the worst part. All day, I could just  _feel_ Mary Margaret and David watching me. Like they were expecting me to burst into tears right then and there. Exchanging all those concerned glances, like they didn't think I could see. Treating me like a fragile doll."

"Well, they are your parents." Hook pointed out.

"Doesn't matter. I don't need anyone's pity." She fired back.

"But they're your parents." He argued. "They're just trying to help."

"Well, I don't need help." She said stubbornly. "I'm perfectly capable of dealing with my ex and his overly peppy fiancée."

"I know." He sighed, knowing that he was getting nowhere. "All right, look. You're here now. I can make you forget all about your day."

"Ha. Not in the mood." But she did snuggle up to him, lying her head on his chest, settling herself in his lap.

They sat like that for a while, in a comfortable silence, while he slowly toyed with her hair.

"You know what the worst part was?"

"That I wasn't there?" He teased.

"Actually, yeah." She turned to look at him. "I just kept thinking that you would've found a way to distract me, to make me feel better."

"Well, I'm here now, and that's all that matters. And I will never leave."


	21. Just A Dream...?

Chapter 21: Just A Dream…?

_Darkness. That's all Emma could see. Darkness._

_She was in some sort of dark, empty room. Running her hands along the walls, she groped for something. A light switch, a torch, anything. But the walls were empty._

" _Hello?" She called out cautiously. "Anyone there?"_

_Silence._

_Emma sighed, irritated. Where the hell was she? She was willing to bet that her hot headedness had gotten her into some sort of trouble. Again._

_For a moment, she wondered if she was under the sleeping curse or something. But wait. Mary Margaret had told her all about the effects of the sleeping curse, and this dark room was most certainly not the fiery room her mother had described._

_Just then, there was a small pinprick of light. And then another, and another, and another. Emma shielded her eyes against the brightness. "What the hell?" She muttered._

" _Not what." A familiar voice said. "Who"_

_Emma lowered her hands to see Cora standing in front of her, bathed in a pool of light. She immediately tensed, wishing she had a sword or something._

" _What do you want?" She growled._

" _Relax, dear. I'm only here for a little chat."_

" _Somehow I find that hard to believe." She shot back._

_Cora only laughed. "Oh, believe me. If I was here to hurt you, you'd be dead already."_

" _Ok. So what do you want?"_

" _I'm here to warn you." She began pacing around the dark room, the light following her as she walked._

" _About what? That you're here to kill me? Good luck getting to Storybrooke."_

_Cora rolled her eyes. "I don't need luck. That pirate you're so fascinated with? You think he's so wonderful? Well. You wouldn't love him if you knew what he was really up to." She said mysteriously._

_Emma frowned. "What's_ that  _supposed to mean?"_

_But Cora started to fade away. "Well, dear what's the fun if I tell you?"_

Emma awoke with a start, her heart pounding, the blankets tangled around her legs. She looked around Hook's apartment wildly, half expecting Cora to still be there. The other half of the bed was empty, and she could hear the shower running.

A dream. It was just a dream. Nothing more. But it had felt so  _real._  And what about what Cora had said? That she wouldn't really love Hook if she knew what he was really up to? What was up with _that_?

Part of her, the rational part, wanted to just disregard everything Cora had said. After all, it was just a dream. But another part, the part that still struggled to wrap itself around the whole magic thing, had a suspicion that Cora had been right. After everything she'd been through magic wise, she knew what nothing was just a dream anymore.

But had Cora been right? It was true that Emma still didn't know why Hook was here. He claimed it was for her, but had he lied?

Damn her lie detector and its tendency to be inaccurate when her emotions were involved.

Just then, the bathroom door opened and Hook came out wrapped in nothing but a towel, a torrent of steam following him. Normally she would've stopped to surreptitiously admire his bare, toned chest without having to listen to a flurry of innuendos, but she was too distracted.

"That thing you call a shower is truly a miracle of God." Hook commented as he walked towards her, hair still glistening with moisture. "That bothered by my absence? Not to worry, love. I'm here now." He said upon noticing her pinched, sour expression.

"I had the weirdest dream." Emma murmured.

"Would you care to enlighten me?" He sat down on the end of the bed.

"Cora was there. We were in this dark room." She recounted. "And then she kind of told me in her own little way that you were up to something." Suddenly, Emma noticed the tight way in which he gripped the bedspread and the paleness in his face. "What? Why do you look all nervous?"

"What?" Hook looked up. "Nothing."

"Is she right?" Emma pressed. "Is that why you look like you just swallowed something sour?"

Hook fought to keep a straight face. "No, of course not.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "If you say so." But it was obvious she was unconvinced.

"It was just a dream." He reached out and brushed a piece of hair out of her face.

"Was it?" Emma fired back. "Because I know now that nothing is never as it seems. I mean, you never told me why you're here."

Hook swallowed back his fear. "Listen to me." Using his hook, he forced her eyes to meet his. "Emma. You know me. You can trust me. If I was up to something, you'd know. It was just a dream." He reiterated.

* * *

This was not good. This was  _so_ not good. He'd managed to convince her for now, but he knew that in time, she'd start to doubt him. Emma was smart. Much, much smarter than the average woman, and he was sure that with another warning or two, she'd corner him against the wall with a sharp knife and demand to know what was going on.

Hook knew with a dead certainty that that had most certainly not been just a dream. It was Cora's way of telling him that time was running out. That he had to (gulp) kidnap Henry as soon as possible.

But her warning had just doubled the difficulty of this task. Now Emma would be alert, keeping an eye on him to make sure the dream had been just that. A dream. How exactly was he supposed to kidnap her son without her noticing? Especially since he had two mothers, a father, and grandparents?

This just reinforced the fact that he had to go to the Crocodile for help. As soon as humanly possible.


	22. Chapter 22: 24 Hours

Chapter 22: 24 Hours

"Not a very pleasant place, is this?" Hook commented dryly, looking around the dim station.

"It's a police station. What did you expect?" Emma said without looking up from her desk where she was poring over a large stack of paperwork.

"Something nicer."

She stood up, crossing the room towards the large filing cabinet. "Just go entertain yourself with the coffee machine or something. I have a lot of work to do."

"If you say so." He wrapped his arms around her from behind, planting kisses along the back of her neck.

"Hook." She hissed, attempting to wiggle out of his grip. "Stop."

"What?" He whispered. "You told me to entertain myself." With his good hand, he reached out and grabbed the files out of her hands, throwing them aside, where they spilled out across the floor.

"Not like this. Someone could walk in at any moment." She protested weakly, her resolve obviously fading.

"Well then, love. We'll just have to be very, very quiet then, won't we?"

"I guess we will." She turned around, her lips meeting his, arms reaching up to encircle themselves around his neck.

"About bloody time." He smiled triumphantly.

"Shut up." Emma murmured as they backed up against the wall, the files forgotten on the floor.

Suddenly, Hook saw something swinging out of the corner of his eye. The large glowing orb on the ceiling directly above her head, the thing Emma called a light. Was it supposed to swing like that?

"Swan." He broke away, causing her to whimper at the loss of contact. "Look." He pointed behind her, up at the ceiling.

She didn't even look at the direction he was gesturing at. "It's just a light."

"But it looks like it's about to fall." He pointed out.

"It's just a light." Emma urgently pressed her lips against his again. "Perfectly safe."

Well, if she said so. Hook turned back to her, but he couldn't help but worry as the light began to swing precariously. Back and forth, back and forth. Faster and faster.

Suddenly, there was a quiet snap, the snap of the cords breaking above their heads. By the time Hook looked up, the heavy light fixture was hurtling swiftly towards them. Or more specifically, straight towards her head.

Hook only had a split second to react, shoving them out of harm's way just in time as the light fixture crashed through the air right where her head had been moments ago, shattering into a million pieces with an earsplitting crack, showering the floor with broken glass.

"What was that?" A wide eyed Emma sat up, startled.

"I believe it was the thing you called perfectly safe." He quipped. "Looks like you were wrong."

Emma shot him a look as they stood up carefully, avoiding the broken glass everywhere. "Good thing you saw that."

"Ah, yes well I wasn't the one who was so distracted that she failed to notice a large death trap."

"That's never happened before." Emma commented as she bent down to examine the light. "These things are usually pretty sturdy."

"You were just lucky I was here. I shudder to think what would've happened if that thing reached its target." He reached out and brushed a stray lock of hair out of her face.

Emma rolled her eyes. "Don't be dramatic. There's no way that would've hit me."

"Yes, it would." Hook argued. "It was directly above your head. It would've killed you if I wasn't there."

"Whatever." She shrugged him off. "Ugh. Now I have to get someone to clean this up."

Hook was astonished at the blasé way in which she'd just shrugged this off. He wasn't sure if he was impressed by the way she was entirely unaffected by a near death experience or horrified.

Just then, out of the blue, there was a cold, snake like whisper in his head.  _24 hoursssss. You have 24 hours to bring the boy to me. Or the next time it won't be so close._

And then he knew. This had been no accident. It was Cora's doing. And he knew exactly what she was saying.

He had 24 hours to kidnap Henry or else Emma would pay the price.

* * *

Making up an excuse to leave the station, Hook skulked along the alley, sneaking deftly in the shadows towards his mortal enemy's home.

His heart pounded loudly in his ears as he walked straight into the heart of his enemy. If someone had told him several years back that he would be doing this, he would've laughed in their face and asked how much rum they'd drank.

But love made you do crazy things, he supposed.

Taking a deep breath to steel himself, he pushed open the door, completely disregarding the large closed sign, wincing as it jangled loudly. Luckily, the shop was empty.

"Do you not see the closed sign…?" An angry voice grew louder as its owner limped out towards the front. " _You!_ " Rumplestilskin hissed as he took in the pirate before him. Conjuring a large ball of fire, an ugly sneer crossed his face. "How did you get here? What are you doing here,  _pirate_?" He asked, disgusted.

"Oh, believe me. I want to be here just about as much as you want me here." Hook said lightly. "But I do believe you want to hear what I have to say."

"And why's that?" Rumple growled, cornering him against the wall, his cane at his throat.

"Because it concerns your grandson." Hook choked.

Rumple staggered back, clearly surprised. "My grandson. Henry? What do you know about him?"

"Well, more than you think." Hook massaged his neck. "He's in danger."

But much to his surprise, Rumplestilskin merely looked mildly curious, entirely undisturbed.

"Well that's none of my concern." Rumple replied.

"But he's your grandson." Hook argued. "He's in danger. Cora's after him, and she wants me to kidnap the lad and bring him to her."

For a second there, a conflicted look crossed the crocodile's face, but as fast as it came it was gone. Rumple shrugged. "Again, none of my concern."

"Do you not believe me or something, because I can assure you I'm being quite serious."

"Oh, I believe you." Rumple said lightly. "But the thing is, Cora paid me a visit and ensured that she would leave Belle out of harm's way if I let her do whatever it she's here to do. And if that includes my grandson, so be it. I do believe that I've made myself quite clear. If you value your life, and I know you do, you will leave." He said quietly, limping back towards the back room.

"What was all that about?" Hook could hear a woman's voice ask. Belle, he presumed.

"Nothing." Rumple cast one last look at the pirate, a clear indication that Hook had about thirty seconds to leave before he died a painful death.

With a deep sigh, Hook did as he was told and exited the shop, once again blending into the shadows. This had failed. Epically. He had no idea why the crocodile had so adamantly refused to help.

Now he really had no choice. He had 24 hours to bring Henry to Cora.


End file.
